- To successfully persuade someone to agree with your point of view, support your cause, or develop a liking for you.
Explanation
Origin
- Uses the metaphor of winning a competition or battle.
- Persuasion is framed as overcoming resistance or indifference to achieve 'victory' (agreement or favor).
Synonyms & Related Expressions
Alternatives
Slang/Informal:
- Get someone on board
- Sell someone on (an idea)
- Bring them into the fold (make them part of the group/agreement)
Milder/Standard:
- Persuade
- Convince
- Gain someone's support/approval
- Influence
Vulgar/Emphatic: (Not common for this phrase, relates more to difficulty or unexpectedness):
- Damn, I can't believe we actually won them over!
Situational Appropriateness
- Widely acceptable in informal, semi-formal, and most professional contexts when discussing persuasion.
Misunderstanding Warnings
- Generally clear. The metaphorical use of win is standard.
Examples
- Her passionate speech won the crowd over.
- It took several meetings, but we finally won the client over.
- He used his charm to try and win her over.
Dialogue
Sarah: I was worried the investors wouldn't like our pitch.
Mark: How did it go?
Sarah: Jane was amazing! Her presentation completely won them over. They agreed to fund us!
Mark: That's fantastic news!
Social Media Examples
- Post: Feeling good! Just had a meeting and totally won the team over to my new project idea. #workwin #persuasion
- Tweet: That new cafe down the street won me over with their amazing coffee and friendly staff. #localbusiness #customerforlife
- Comment: Your detailed explanation won me over. I see your point now!
Response Patterns
- Often describes a past event. Responses might be congratulatory or inquisitive.
- That's great! How did you do it?
- Well done! They can be a tough audience.
- If someone states the intention (I need to win them over): Good luck! or What's your strategy?
Common Follow-up Questions/Actions
- After success is reported: What convinced them? or What was the key argument?
- After intention is stated: Discussing tactics (How will you approach it?) or potential obstacles (What are their main objections?).
Conversation Starter
- No. Describes the outcome or goal of a persuasive effort.
Intonation
- Stress typically on win and over.
- He finally WON them OVER.
Generation Differences
- Commonly understood and used by all generations.
Regional Variations
- Standard across major English-speaking regions.