PREVAILED UPON Meaning and
Definition
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"Prevailed upon" is a phrasal verb that means to convince or persuade someone to do something against their initial inclination or resistance. It implies exerting influence or pressure over someone to change their mind or take a certain course of action.
When someone is "prevailed upon," another person, often through reasoning, negotiation, or emotional appeal, manages to sway their opinion or decision. It suggests an act of persuasion achieved through persistence, compelling arguments, or the demonstration of the benefits or consequences of a particular choice.
The expression "prevailed upon" emphasizes that the person being influenced initially had reservations or held a different view, but eventually succumbed to the persuader's efforts. It conveys a sense of achieving a desired outcome by convincing someone to align with a particular position or action.
For example, a friend may be hesitant to lend money, but after being prevailed upon, they agree to assist in a time of need. Similarly, a student may be reluctant to participate in a challenging extracurricular activity, but their parents manage to prevail upon them to do it, recognizing the long-term benefits.
Overall, "prevailed upon" denotes the success of one party in changing another's mind or persuading them to act contrary to their initial inclination, employing various strategies to achieve the desired result.
Common Misspellings for PREVAILED UPON
- orevailed upon
- lrevailed upon
- -revailed upon
- 0revailed upon
- peevailed upon
- pdevailed upon
- pfevailed upon
- ptevailed upon
- p5evailed upon
- p4evailed upon
- prwvailed upon
- prsvailed upon
- prdvailed upon
- prrvailed upon
- pr4vailed upon
- pr3vailed upon
- precailed upon
- prebailed upon
- pregailed upon
- prefailed upon
Etymology of PREVAILED UPON
The phrase "prevailed upon" is derived from the Middle English word "prevaylen", which originated from the Old French word "prevaloir". The word "prevaloir" came from the Latin "praevalere", where "prae-" means "before" and "valere" means "to be strong" or "to have power". Over time, "prevailed upon" has evolved to its current usage, meaning to persuade someone or be successful in convincing them.
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