convincing

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/kənˈvɪnsɪŋ/
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Able to persuade, seem real, or show a clear and decisive advantage.

Examples

  • She finished the race with a convincing lead.
  • Her accent was surprisingly convincing.
  • The champion made a convincing return after injury.
  • A late goal turned a close match into a convincing success.
  • The team earned a convincing victory at home.

Similar words

dominant
authentic
persuasive
compelling
strong
sound
believable
plausible
cogent
strong

Meanings

Persuasive and believable

adjective
everyday
neutral
Able to make someone believe that something is true, right, likely, or worth accepting.

Usage

Use convincing for arguments, explanations, evidence, reasons, or cases that remove doubt. It is stronger than interesting and usually implies that the support is solid.

Examples

  • She gave a convincing explanation for the delay.
  • The report contains convincing evidence of fraud.
  • His argument was clear but not fully convincing.
  • The lawyer made a convincing case for dismissal.
  • There is no convincing reason to change the policy now.
  • The data became more convincing after the second study.

Common mistakes

The adjective needs a noun to describe, and it is often confused with the verb form convincing in continuous tenses.
IncorrectCorrect
The evidence convinced is strong. The evidence is convincing.
She gave a convinced argument. She gave a convincing argument.
It was convincing me evidence. It was convincing evidence.

Similar words

Realistic or natural

adjective
literary
neutral
Seeming real, natural, or true to life, especially in a performance, story, description, or imitation.

Usage

Use convincing for acting, characters, accents, effects, costumes, or scenes that feel real. It does not always mean factually true, only that the result feels believable.

Examples

  • The actor gave a convincing performance as the detective.
  • The film creates a convincing picture of life in the city.
  • Her accent was surprisingly convincing.
  • The novel has a convincing sense of place.
  • The costume looked convincing from a distance.
  • The witness gave a calm and convincing account.

Common mistakes

This sense can be wrongly treated as meaning morally sincere, when it mainly describes how believable the performance or representation feels.
IncorrectCorrect
The actor was a very convinced villain. The actor was a very convincing villain.
The fake passport looked convinced. The fake passport looked convincing.
Her accent was convincing to be French. Her accent was convincingly French.

Similar words

Clear and decisive

adjective
sports
neutral
Used of a win, victory, or result that is strong enough to leave little doubt about who was better.

Usage

Use convincing with words such as win, victory, lead, and result. It suggests a clear margin or confident performance, not merely a narrow success.

Examples

  • The team earned a convincing victory at home.
  • She finished the race with a convincing lead.
  • The champion made a convincing return after injury.
  • They needed a convincing win to reach the final.
  • The election produced a convincing result for the mayor.
  • A late goal turned a close match into a convincing success.

Common mistakes

The collocation usually describes the result itself, not the winner as a permanent quality.
IncorrectCorrect
They won a convinced victory. They won a convincing victory.
The team was convincing by one point. The team won by one point.
It was convincing win for them. It was a convincing win for them.

Similar words

Usage

The word works best with evidence, arguments, performances, stories, and clear wins. It suggests enough force or realism to overcome doubt.

Common mistakes

She gave a convinced argument should be She gave a convincing argument. Convinced describes the person who believes, while convincing describes the thing that causes belief.

Etymology

Formed from the verb convince plus -ing. Convince came through Latin convincere, meaning to overcome decisively, prove, or demonstrate, from com- "with, together" and vincere "to conquer". The adjective has been used in English since the early seventeenth century.

FAQ

What does convincing mean?

Convincing means able to make something seem true, right, believable, realistic, or clearly successful.

What is the difference between convincing and convinced?

Convincing describes the thing that persuades. Convinced describes the person who believes.

Can convincing describe an actor?

Yes. A convincing actor or performance feels believable and natural.

What is a convincing victory?

A convincing victory is a clear, strong win that leaves little doubt about who was better.

What are synonyms of convincing?

Common synonyms include persuasive, compelling, credible, plausible, and decisive, depending on the sense.

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