10 Words For Someone Who Is Easily Influenced (2024)

We often meet or know folks who are “easily influenced” by others. This can be in terms of how they act, how they treat others, and more. However, we may not know what else we can refer to this person as. Therefore, this article will highlight acceptable terms.

What Do You Call Someone Who Is Easily Influenced?

The phrase “easily influenced” is very commonly used. If we would like to find an applicable synonym to calling someone “easily influenced”, we can try using some of the following terms:

• Impressionable
• Susceptible
• Gullible
• Follower
• Persuadable
• Exploitable
• Naive
• Credulous
• Suggestible
• Trusting

The preferred version is “impressionable”. This is because it is a strong alternative to merely saying someone is “easily influenced”. When someone is “impressionable”, they are very open to believing the views, opinions and statements of others – often without any questioning.

Impressionable

Cambridge Dictionary defines “impressionable” as being easily influenced by other people, especially because you are young. We can certainly use this term in regards to children and teenagers, as they are very believing, especially with information supplied by the adults in their lives.

At the same time, we can also use the term “impressionable”, in terms of folks who are “easily influenced” because of a lack of credibility. This means that this person is not very believable themselves, therefore, they are easily persuaded to believing other’s opinions.

Here are a few ways we can use this term appropriately:

• Children are very impressionable in terms of advertising. This is why many countries have laws on what can be used in advertisem*nts directed towards children aged 18 and under.
• She’s at a very impressionable age, where she is easily manipulated into doing anything her friends would like.
• He doesn’t have a good general understanding of history, making him impressionable and trusting of anything he is told.

Susceptible

Cambridge Dictionary defines “susceptible” as being easily influenced or harmed by something. When we say that someone is “susceptible” we are saying that they are likely to submit to the influence of someone or something else. This is often because of a lack of firsthand experience of knowledge.

We can also use the term “susceptible” to describe someone who is easily affected emotionally. This means that they may be sensitive by nature or feelings, making them unchallenging targets for those wishing to persuade them.

Some examples of how we can use this particular term are:

• She was susceptible to having her feelings hurt by the words of others.
• He didn’t have a good understanding of intimate relationships, making him susceptible to her opinion and experience.
• While she is a beautiful woman, she isn’t very susceptible to flattery.

Gullible

Cambridge Dictionary defines “gullible” as being easily deceived or tricked, and too willing to believe everything that other people say. Therefore, when we say someone is too “gullible”, we are meaning to express that they are too easily believing of others.

Essentially, we can view gullibility as somewhat of a failure in our social intelligence. Someone who is “gullible” has become far too easy to be tricked or conned into often ill-advised courses of action or beliefs.

To help showcase how we can use this term, here are a few examples:

• She was far too gullible, to the point where she fell in love with men who fed her falsehoods.
• Corporations attempt to persuade the gullible public into spending their money irrationally.
• Even I’m not gullible enough to believe something that ludicrous!

Follower

Cambridge Dictionary defines a “follower” as someone who supports, admires, or believes in a particular person, group or idea. However, this can often be entirely to a person’s detriment, as they often overlook the negative aspects of blindly following others.

Often, a “follower” can be considered someone who is an adherent or a devotee to a particular person, cause or activity. This is also generally someone who may not have the greatest background knowledge, morals, etc.

Being a “follower” is usually considered to be quite a dangerous thing, as we often lose ourselves in the process.

Here are a few ways we can use this term, if deemed appropriate:

• Once we got to high school, she became a follower of the mean girl clique. She no longer had time for her old friends.
• He is a follower to the Maverick organization – a hardcore rightwing group. It’s not a good group of people to associate with, so I worry for him.
• She is a devote follower of Christianity and has been for as long as I’ve known her.

Persuadable

When we say that someone is “persuadable”, we’re meaning to say that they’re extremely easy to persuade. Cambridge Dictionary defines “persuade” as making someone so or believe something by giving them a good reason to do it or by talking to that person and making them believe it.

When someone is persuadable, it is very easy to manipulate them into changing their own beliefs or values. This is considered to be a very negative attribute, as our values and beliefs are something that should never change for anyone but ourselves.

We’ll now go over a few examples using this term:

• He was easily persuadable, which meant he was convinced to pay the entire groups tab without issue.
• Children are very persuadable by nature and adults should never attempt to take advantage of this.
• The candidate decided to attempt to appeal to the most persuadable population of voters.

Exploitable

Cambridge Dictionary defines “exploitable” as someone who is able to be used unfairly or for someone’s own advantage. Essentially, when we say someone is “exploitable”, we mean that they are capable of or suitable for being used for a particular purpose or reason.

We can also use the term “exploitable” when we wish to speak about something or someone that can be used to create an abundance of profit or good.

Some examples of the term being appropriately used are:

• I know what you wanted and that was for me to make some sort of exploitable mistake, which you would then have used to your advantage.
• His software business involves capturing marketing data in the exploitable and effective way.
• She was incredibly exploitable, making it easy for the owners to manipulate her into working overtime with adequate pay or benefits.

Naive

Cambridge Dictionary defines “naive” as too willing to believe that someone is telling the truth, that people’s intentions in general are good, or that life is simple and fair. People are often naive because of their youth or lack of life experience.

We often say that folks who are naive lack a general wisdom or judgement. At the same time, we can say lack the ability to see through the falsehoods portrayed by others.

To showcase how we would use this term, here’s an example:

• He was naive enough to believe that she had intensions to spend the night with him.
• It was naive of you to think that the teacher would listen to your opinion.
• It’s naive to believe that all countries in the world are able to agree on effective solutions to the ongoing climate crisis.

Credulous

Cambridge Dictionary defines “credulous” as too willing to believe what you are told and so easily deceived. We often describe a “credulous” person as someone who generally trusts to readily or is easily convinced, often without adequately presented information, facts or evidence.

We commonly associate the term “credulous” to depict someone who we believe is far too eager to agree with someone else’s beliefs or opinions, without thinking it through.

Here are some examples highlighting this term:

• Credulous seniors can often be perceived easy targets for phone scams.
• He was credulous and because of this, he easily believed the opinions of his unsupportive classmates.
• Because my sister is a credulous consumer, she is a salesperson’s dream clientele.

Suggestible

Cambridge Dictionary defines “suggestible” as a person who is easily influenced by other people’s opinions. We often will say that a “suggestible person” is very open to suggestion, easily swayed or easily manipulated. This if often someone who has a malleable personality.

When we say that someone is “suggestible”, we are meaning to express that they are often very inclined to accept and act on the mere suggestions of others – with any prior thought process.

To follow up, here are a few examples showcasing this term:

• A suggestible client will comply to your requests, without thinking twice.
• She was highly suggestible, making it simple for the schoolyard bullies to take advantage of her.
• He is suggestible and incredibly willing to believe even the most ridiculous of opinions.

Trusting

The last alternative we will look at is “trusting”. Cambridge Dictionary defines “trusting” as always believing that other people are good or honest and will not harm or deceive you. While we often associate being “trusting” as a positive aspect, this is not always the case.

Those who are the most “trusting” are often easily manipulated or taken advantage of. They tend to be overly optimistic in terms of people always being good-natured in their intentions. They want to believe that everyone is sincere and because of this, can often get hurt.

Finally, here are our last few examples:

• She was far too trusting and as a result, had many people in her life who took advantage of her.
• The owners were far too trusting in their morning manager, who had been stealing from the company for months.
• We are often too trusting in our places of employment, not realizing that we may be getting taken advantage of.

What Does It Mean To Be Easily Influenced?

Someone who is “easily influenced” is often someone who cannot or chooses not to think independently. This is someone who is considered to easily agree with or submit to the beliefs or opinions of others – without careful consideration or prior thought.

This can be a very negative attribute, as someone who is “easily influenced” is often not someone respected for their opinion. At the same time, this is also someone who is thought to be easy to take advantage of.

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