to prevail

Examples

• All

• I shall do my best, learned friend, to prevail upon Lord Antony to attend.

  Cleopatra (1963)

• I must prevail on you... to come to the examining theater this instant.

  Restoration (1995)

• Um, I wonder if I might prevail upon you to change my father over there into his old self.

  Unidentified Flying Oddball (1979)

• If he wants them back, he will prevail upon the puppet regime in Moscow to release General Radek.

  Air Force One (1997)

• After dinner, Sir Radford prevailed upon the others to join him in a game of whist.

  Fiction book (1998)

• As our Mary Jane has so many of her young and talented students her tonight, I hope you'll all join with me in prevailing upon her, to give us a small demonstration of her musical skills.

  The Dead (1987)

• Were we to prevail upon the mill owners to furnish them with an additional shilling per week... their hunger would be alleviated and this agitation would cease.

  Peterloo (2018)

• After several discussions, he finally prevailed upon his friends to join the fundraising event.

• The teacher sought to prevail on the students to complete their assignments before the deadline.

• She tried to prevail upon her sister to take a break and relax for the weekend.

Synonyms

C

to convince

vsto prevail

∞ 2.7

Make someone believe something is true or agree to do something

focuses on persuading after sustained effort rather than only causing belief

U

to urge

vsto prevail

591 3.2

To strongly encourage someone to do something

uses repeated attempts over time rather than immediate strong encouragement

P

to persuade

vsto prevail

472 2.7

To make someone agree or do something by giving reasons

achieves this often after repeated attempts rather than by single argument

P

to press

vsto prevail

285 3.9

Ask someone firmly and repeatedly to do something

relies on sustained persuasion to eventually succeed rather than force

P

to pressure

vsto prevail

149 4.2

To try to make someone do something

achieves consent through persistent effort rather than by direct coercion

W

to win over

vsto prevail

54 3.3

Get someone to support or agree with you

does so by persisting until success rather than just switching support

C

to coax

vsto prevail

54 4.1

To gently persuade someone by being kind and patient

focuses on winning after repeated efforts rather than only gentle kindness

I

to induce

vsto prevail

51 4.9

Persuade someone to do something

depends on persistent persuasion rather than any causal influence

C

to cajole

vsto prevail

15 7.7

To persuade someone to do something by gentle talk and praise

relies on persistent effort rather than flattery or charm

P

to prevail upon

vsto prevail

4 7.7

To persuade someone who does not want to do something to do it

is the same meaning but used as the general verb form

B

to bring pressure to bear

vsto prevail

• Formal

1 6.0

To use influence to persuade someone to do something

relies on repeated persuasion not primarily on force or coercion

T

to twist someone's arm

vsto prevail

• Informal

1 4.4

Get someone to agree or do something by pressuring them

wins acceptance by repeated effort rather than by forceful informal pressure

B

to bend someone's will

vsto prevail

7.1

Persuade someone to do what you want

persists to persuade rather than forcing complete compliance of will

Antonyms

D

to dissuade

35 6.0

To try to stop someone from doing something by talking to them

Phrasal Verbs

P

to prevail over

8 5.8

To win against someone or something that tries to stop you

P

to prevail upon

4 7.7

To persuade someone who does not want to do something to do it

How Persuasive

to prevail

• Formal

23 6.7

to urge

591 3.2

to persuade

472 2.7

to encourage

∞ 2.3

Surface Forms

Etymology