Dissuaded

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To have effectively convinced an individual to abandon a specific intention or decision that they were considering
2. To have urged someone to reconsider their plans or choices, leading them to withdraw from a desired action
3. To have successfully influenced a person to change their mind about pursuing a particular course of action or goal

Etymology: The past tense "dissuaded" is simply the regular ending added to "dissuade," so the history lies in the verb itself. That verb came into English from Middle French "dissuader," which in turn descends from the Latin "dissuadere." The Latin word joins "dis-," meaning "away from" or "asunder," with "suadere," "to recommend" or "to advise." Put together, the original sense is close to "advise away from," so to dissuade someone is to argue them out of a course of action. The same Latin root gives English "persuade," which is built on "suadere" with "per-" ("through") and so means to advise or urge someone thoroughly toward a belief or action. "Dissuade" and "persuade" therefore mirror each other: one pushes a person toward a choice, the other pulls them away from it.

Synonyms: discouraged, prevented, deterred, disheartened, warned

Antonyms: encouraged, persuaded, motivated, inspired, urged