brainwashing

noun
UK: /ˈbreɪnwɒʃɪŋ/
US: /ˈbreɪnwɑːʃɪŋ/

  1. The act of making someone believe something by repeatedly telling them it is true.

    1. The cult used brainwashing to control its members. [ ] [ ]
    2. He accused the political party of brainwashing the public with false information during the election. [ ] [ ]

  2. A process of systematic and intensive indoctrination, often involving coercion, to change a person's beliefs or values.

    1. They say soldiers underwent brainwashing to fight. [ ] [ ]
    2. The government was accused of brainwashing citizens through propaganda and censorship to maintain power. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

coercion persuasion propaganda
brainwashing transitive-verb

  1. To make someone believe something by repeatedly telling them that it is true, even if it is not.

    1. They tried to brainwash me into thinking it was right. [ ] [ ]
    2. The advertisement campaign attempts to brainwash consumers into buying their products by associating them with happiness. [ ] [ ]

  2. To force someone to accept beliefs by using systematic and often coercive techniques.

    1. He claimed the enemy was brainwashing prisoners. [ ] [ ]
    2. The totalitarian regime used propaganda and re-education camps to brainwash its citizens into complete obedience. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "brainwashing" in English means: The act of making someone believe something by repeatedly telling them it is true., A process of systematic and intensive indoctrination, often involving coercion, to change a person's beliefs or values..

The phonetic transcription of "brainwashing" is /ˈbreɪnwɒʃɪŋ/ in British English and /ˈbreɪnwɑːʃɪŋ/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "brainwashing": coercion, persuasion, propaganda.

Example usage of "brainwashing": "The cult used brainwashing to control its members.". More examples on the page.