wheedle

play

verb whee·dle \ˈhwē-d^əl, ˈwē-\

Definition of wheedle

wheedled

;

wheedling

play \ˈ(h)wēd-liŋ, ˈ(h)wē-d^əl-iŋ\

transitive verb
1 : to influence or entice by soft words or flattery
2 : to gain or get by wheedling wheedle one's way into favor
intransitive verb
: to use soft words or flattery

See wheedle defined for English-language learners

See wheedle defined for kids

wheedle was our Word of the Day on 09/30/2014. Hear the podcast!

Examples of wheedle in a Sentence

He wheedled quite a bit of money from her.
She pleaded and wheedled, but I wouldn't be swayed.

Recent Examples of wheedle from the Web

Jordan begged and wheedled and cajoled to get his grandmother to part with the recipe.

— providence cicero, The Seattle Times, "At JuneBaby, star chef Edouardo Jordan returns to his Southern roots," 22 June 2017
These are the result of ancient viruses that wheedled their way into our DNA, stayed there, and copied themselves again and again.

— ed yong, The Atlantic, "Now That We Can Read Genomes, Can We Write Them?," 10 May 2017
Belle was both, often within the same encounter, wheedling information out of Union officers while wearing Confederate garb, often to comic effect.

— kat eschner, Smithsonian, "Belle Boyd, Civil War Spy," 9 May 2017
Mr. Trump can use the megaphone of social media without having to wheedle gossip writers first.

— michael m. grynbaum, New York Times, "Donald Trump and New York Tabloids Resume Their Elaborate Dance," 11 Apr. 2016
On the inside, Abraham wheedled and cajoled his fellow Republicans on the Judiciary Committee.

— john heilemann, WIRED, "Do You know the Way to Ban Jose?," 1 Aug. 1996

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wheedle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

wheedle Comes Up Often in Literature

Wheedle has been a part of the English lexicon since the mid-17th century, though no one is quite sure how the word made its way into English. (It has been suggested that the term may have derived from an Old English word that meant "to beg," but this is far from certain.) Once established in the language, however, wheedle became a favorite of some of the language's most illustrious writers. Wheedle and related forms appear in the writings of Wordsworth, Dickens, Kipling, Dryden, Swift, Scott, Tennyson, and Pope, among others.

Origin and Etymology of wheedle

origin unknown

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1661

See Words from the same year

Synonym Discussion of wheedle

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

WHEEDLE Defined for English Language Learners

wheedle

play

verb

Definition of wheedle for English Language Learners

: to persuade someone to do something or to give you something by saying nice things

WHEEDLE Defined for Kids

wheedle

play

verb whee·dle \ˈhwē-d^əl, ˈwē-\

Definition of wheedle for Students

wheedled

;

wheedling

1 : to get (someone) to think or act a certain way by flattering : coax “You're such a good cook, you make dinner,” she wheedled.
2 : to gain or get by coaxing or flattering He's trying to wheedle money out of them.