What does "convince" mean?
To make someone believe, or feel sure about something, especially by using logic, argument or evidence.
Convince
/kənˈvɪns/ verb
verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To make someone believe, or feel sure about something, especially by using logic, argument or evidence.
- Grammar: convince is listed as verb.
- Nearest alternatives: affect decisions, allay, allays, allured.
- Useful contrasts: pressurized, notworks, bludgeon.
- Usage evidence: You can talk until you're blue in the face, but you'll never convince me.
How to use "convince"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "convince" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "convince" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "convince" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "convince" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "convince" is acting as verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "affect decisions" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "convince", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To make someone believe, or feel sure about something, especially by using logic, argument or evidence.
"I wouldn't have or do something, unless I'm convinced that it's good."
- 2 make (someone) agree, understand, or realize the truth or validity of something wordnet
- 3 To persuade.
- 4 To overcome, conquer, vanquish. obsolete, transitive
"[…]his two Chamberlaines / Will I with Wine, and Waſſell, ſo conuince, / That Memorie, the Warder of the Braine, / Shall be a Fume,[…]"
- 5 To behave believably in a role; to make someone perceive oneself as the character being portrayed.
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 To confute; to prove wrong. obsolete, transitive
"For hee mightily conuinced the Iewes, and that publikely, shewing by the scriptures, that Iesus was Christ."
- 7 To prove guilty; to convict. obsolete, transitive
"Which of you conuinceth mee of ſinne?"
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"You can talk until you're blue in the face, but you'll never convince me."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "convince"?
Common synonyms include: affect decisions, allay, allays, allured, argue, argue into.
How do you use "convince" in a sentence?
You can talk until you're blue in the face, but you'll never convince me.
How do you pronounce "convince"?
Pronounced /kənˈvɪns/.
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin convincō (“I refute, prove”), from con- + vincō (“I conquer, vanquish”). Doublet of convict. Displaced native Old English oferreċċan.