Literary notes about dissuasive (AI summary)
In literary contexts, "dissuasive" is employed to characterize speech or writing that intentionally warns, discourages, or advises against certain actions or beliefs. It can denote a tone that is cautious and advisory, as when a character offers polite yet firm counsel not to proceed with a particular course of action [1], or when a writer frames an entire treatise to dissuade readers from succumbing to certain ideologies [2, 3, 4]. The term also appears in narratives where physical or audible actions serve as deterrents—such as noises meant to hinder rescue efforts [5] or gestures that embody reluctance—and in discussions that blend persuasive and dehortatory intentions [6, 7]. Through these varied uses, "dissuasive" underscores an element of caution or warning, lending a nuanced depth to the interplay between encouragement and admonition in literature.
- “I would not, if I were in your place,” she replied, cautiously dissuasive.
— from At Last: A Novel by Marion Harland - Taylor, Jeremy, Dissuasive from Popery , 51 .
— from Narrative and Critical History of America, Vol. 1 (of 8) Aboriginal America - Of his other writings, the most remarkable is the Advice to a Dissenter (1687), a masterly dissuasive against abetting the illegalities of James.
— from The Age of Dryden by Richard Garnett - [509] “A Dissuasive from Popery,” pt. i. chap.
— from Folk-lore of Shakespeare by T. F. (Thomas Firminger) Thiselton-Dyer - There were dissuasive noises from the company, but no attempt at rescue.
— from The Research Magnificent by H. G. (Herbert George) Wells - “You’re doin’ middlin’ well here, Dick,” said one of the other men in a dissuasive tone of voice.
— from The Ghost Camp; or, the Avengers by Rolf Boldrewood - It seems to me to have a dissuasive inflection.
— from Nancy: A Novel by Rhoda Broughton
