To successfully persuade or convince someone to do something, especially something they were reluctant to do.
To convince someone to do something, even though they didn't really want to do it at first.
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
To successfully persuade someone — often through persistence or moral argument — to do something they were unwilling to do.
"She finally prevailed upon her elderly father to see a doctor."
I prevailed upon the reluctant Mr. Huxley to accompany me.
— Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1892) — paraphrase of narrative style
Distinctly formal and somewhat literary. Implies that persuasion required effort and that the person was initially unwilling. Always takes a human object followed by an infinitive: 'prevail upon someone to do something'. Common in formal correspondence, literary writing, and formal speech. Using it in casual conversation would sound stiff or old-fashioned.
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
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