adjective
persuasive
puh-SWAY-sihv
adjective
1
Able to convince people; making a strong, convincing case.
"She gave a persuasive argument for why the deadline should be extended."
"His persuasive manner won over even the skeptics in the room."
How to Use Persuasive
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishGood at convincing people — describes an argument, speaker, or piece of writing.
Common pairings
a persuasive argument
highly persuasive
persuasive evidence
Word Forms
more persuasive comparative, persuasives plural, most persuasive superlative
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “persuasive”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
She gave a _____ argument for why the deadline should be extended.
Etymology
From Latin persuadere ("to persuade") plus the adjective ending -ive.