To overcome the unwillingness or indifference of; with various shades of meaning: to attract, allure, entice; to prevail upon, persuade, induce…

transitive. With a person as object. To induce to believe or accept a statement, doctrine, etc.; to convince that or of; to urge successfully to…

intransitive. To succeed in persuading, inducing, or influencing; usually as to prevail on, to prevail upon, or †to prevail with (someone).

transitive. To persuade or influence (a person); to induce to do something. Now rare.

transitive. To entice or induce into something beneficial or desirable; to persuade or convince to do something. Also with on. Obsolete.

transitive. To cause (a person, his or her actions, conduct, or thoughts) to be directed in a particular way; to influence with regard to some…

transitive. To prevail upon, win over. Obsolete. rare.

transitive. To persuade to a different opinion, win over; to prevail over in spite of an opposing opinion. Also intransitive: to win a person…

transitive. To succeed in affecting or influencing (a person, his or her opinions or sentiments, etc.); to impress, convince, win over.

intransitive. To succeed in persuading, inducing, or influencing; usually as to prevail on, to prevail upon, or †to prevail with (someone).

intransitive or absol. with prepositions. to gain upon = ‘to prevail upon’; cf. 6b.

To induce, prevail upon, persuade. Const. to with infinitive. Originally U.S.