Library / English Dictionary

WHEEDLE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering

Example:

He palavered her into going along

Synonyms:

blarney; cajole; coax; inveigle; palaver; sweet-talk; wheedle

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "wheedle" is one way to...):

persuade (cause somebody to adopt a certain position, belief, or course of action; twist somebody's arm)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "wheedle"):

soft-soap (persuade someone through flattery)

browbeat; bully; swagger (discourage or frighten with threats or a domineering manner; intimidate)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody into V-ing something

Sentence example:

They wheedle him into writing the letter

Derivation:

wheedler (someone who tries to persuade by blandishment and coaxing)

wheedling (the act of urging by means of teasing or flattery)

Credits