Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

persuasive

/pə(ɹ)ˈsweɪsɪv/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.41 in modern English

Syllables: per-sua-sive
IPA: /pə(ɹ)ˈsweɪsɪv/

15

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

3

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Able to persuade; convincing.

noun

That which persuades; incitement.

Example Sentences

"But I'm pretty persuasive, and I've learned how elected officials think. I know how to press their buttons."
"He smiled a very knowing smile, and setting up a halloo, and shaking his leathern thong, away we went at the rate of seven or eight miles an hour. I had no occasion to go further with my persuasives; the pace was kept up, […]"

Etymology

From Middle French persuasif, from Medieval Latin persuāsīvus, from Latin past participle stem of persuādēre + -īvus.

Origin

Source language: Middle French

Word Breakdown

Root: *sweh₂d-, persuasif, persuāsīvus, -

Inflected Forms

more persuasive (comparative) most persuasive (superlative) persuasives (plural)

Derived Forms

counterpersuasive nonpersuasive persuasively persuasiveness prepersuasive purrsuasive ultrapersuasive

Phrases

persuasive precedent

Synonyms

forcible cogent convincing flexanimous inducing inducive inductious persuadable persuading persuasible pleaful psychagogic

Antonyms

dehortative dehortatory dehorting dissuading dissuasive retractive unconvincing unpersuasive

Rhymes With

invasive pervasive abrasive

Questions

How do you pronounce persuasive?: The recorded pronunciation is /pə(ɹ)ˈsweɪsɪv/.
What does persuasive mean?: Able to persuade; convincing.
Where does persuasive come from?: It is traced to Middle French.

How to pronounce persuasive

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “persuasive”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/pə(ɹ)ˈsweɪsɪv/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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