cajole

ca·jole

verb \kə-ˈjōl\

ca·joledca·jol·ing

Definition of CAJOLE

transitive verb

1

a : to persuade with flattery or gentle urging especially in the face of reluctance : coax <had to cajole them into going> b : to obtain from someone by gentle persuasion <cajoled money from his parents>

2

: to deceive with soothing words or false promises

— ca·jole·ment \-ˈjōl-mənt\ noun

— ca·jol·er noun

— ca·jol·ery \-ˈjō-lə-rē\ noun

Examples of CAJOLE

1. <cajoled her into doing his laundry for him>

Origin of CAJOLE

French cajoler

First Known Use: 1630

Related to CAJOLE

Synonyms: blandish, blarney, coax, palaver, soft-soap, sweet-talk, wheedle

Related Words: adulate, flatter, overpraise; butter up, charm, massage, woo; beg, beseech, importune, urge; beguile, cozen, finagle, juggle, wangle, wile; entice, lure, seduce, tempt

Near Antonyms: bug, harass, nag, pester, tease; browbeat, bulldoze, bully, cow, intimidate; coerce, compel, constrain, demand, force, make, oblige, require

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Synonym Discussion of CAJOLE

cajole, coax, soft-soap, blandish, wheedle mean to influence or persuade by pleasing words or actions. cajole suggests the deliberate use of flattery to persuade in the face of reluctance or reasonable objections <cajoled him into cheating on the final exam>. coax implies gentle and persistent words or actions employed to produce a desired effect <coaxed the cat out of the tree>. soft-soap refers to using smooth and somewhat insincere talk usually for personal gain <politicians soft-soaping eligible voters>. blandish implies a more open desire to win a person over by effusive praise and affectionate actions <legislators blandished with promises of support>. wheedle suggests more strongly than cajole the use of seductive appeal or artful words in persuading <hucksters wheedling her life's savings out of her>.

Rhymes with CAJOLE

airhole, armhole, atoll, bankroll, beadroll, bedroll, black hole, blackpoll, blowhole, borehole, bunghole, catchpole, charcoal, chuckhole, condole, console, control, creole, Creole, dipole, drumroll, dry hole, Dutch roll, egg roll, enroll, ensoul, extol, eyehole, field goal, fishbowl, flagpole, foxhole, funk hole, hard coal, half sole, heart-whole, hellhole, Huichol, inscroll, insole, in whole, keyhole, kneehole, knothole, leaf roll, logroll, loophole, manhole, maypole, midsole, Mongol, outsole, parole, patrol, payroll, peephole, pesthole, pinhole, pistole, pitchpole, porthole, posthole, pothole, redpoll, ridgepole, Sheol, shot hole, sinkhole, ski pole, slipsole, snap roll, sotol, sound hole, spring roll, tadpole, taphole, thumbhole, top-hole, touchhole, unroll, washbowl, weep hole, white hole, wormhole