convince

verb

con·​vince kən-ˈvin(t)s How to pronounce convince (audio)
convinced; convincing
Synonyms of convince

transitive verb

1
: to bring (as by argument) to belief, consent, or a course of action : persuade
… convinced himself that she was all right …—William Faulkner
something I could never convince him to read—John Lahr
2
obsolete
a
: to overcome by argument
b
: overpower, overcome
3
obsolete : demonstrate, prove
convincer noun

Synonyms of convince

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Examples of convince in a Sentence

He convinced me that the story was true. They convinced us of their innocence. I managed to convince myself that I was doing the right thing. We convinced them to go along with our scheme. I was unable to convince her to stay.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Even an ordinary staircase practically dares you to stare at it long enough to convince yourself something moved. — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026 Others are not convinced the change will have much impact on prices, especially in the United States. — Justin Klawans, TheWeek, 26 Aug. 2026 She and her hundreds of pet snails are visited by a young man named Edward Ridgeway (Alden Ehrenreich) who has been sent by her American publisher to convince her to sign a contract to write one more Ripley novel. — Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 26 Aug. 2026 Deco had previously monitored names such as Victor Osimhen of Galatasaray and Manchester City’s Omar Marmoush, but none of them fully convinced all of the club’s decision-makers. — Andy Naylor, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for convince

Word History

Etymology

Latin convincere to refute, convict, prove, from com- + vincere to conquer — more at victor

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of convince was in 1530

Rhymes for convince

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Browse Nearby Words

convictor
convince
convincement
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Convince.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/convince. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

convince

verb
con·​vince kən-ˈvin(t)s How to pronounce convince (audio)
convinced; convincing
: to make a person agree or believe by arguing or showing evidence
convinced me it was true
convincer noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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