cajolery
Persuasion through charm
Cajolery is the act of coaxing or persuading someone through flattery and gentle persistence.
Where persuasion might use logic, cajolery uses charm: Despite all her cajolery, he wouldn't budge.
The word carries a faint suggestion of manipulation—sweetness deployed strategically rather than sincerely.
Persuading through gentle persistence
- wheedlingPersuading through flattery
- enticementSomething that attracts
- convincingAble to persuade
- pleadingUrgent heartfelt request
urging · encouragement · inducement · importunity · exhortation · suasion · solicitation · beguiling
Flatter to persuade
- blarneyFlattering but hollow speech
- soft-soapPersuade through flattery
- complimentWords expressing approval
- adulationExtravagant, servile praise
fawning · ingratiation · sycophancy · obsequiousness · toadyism · smarm · overpraise · blandishment
Charming manipulation of attention
- allureAttractive, tempting quality
- enchantmentMagical influence over someone
- captivationState of being fascinated
- seductionEnticing someone romantically
enticement · lure · beguiling · winsomeness · appeal · fascination · charm offensive · winning ways
Intentional misleading of others
- schemingCrafty and calculating
- subterfugeDeliberate deception to conceal
- maneuveringSkillful directional control
- machinationCrafty scheming, often hostile
ploy · ruse · trickery · cunning · guile · craftiness · artfulness · wiles
coaxing
Persuading through gentle persistence
- wheedlingPersuading through flattery
- enticementSomething that attracts
- convincingAble to persuade
pleading · urging · encouragement · inducement · importunity · exhortation · suasion · solicitation · beguiling · argumentation
sweet-talk
Flatter to persuade
- blarneyFlattering but hollow speech
- soft-soapPersuade through flattery
- complimentWords expressing approval
adulation · fawning · ingratiation · sycophancy · obsequiousness · toadyism · smarm · overpraise · blandishment · honeyed words
beguilement
Charming manipulation of attention
- allureAttractive, tempting quality
- enchantmentMagical influence over someone
- captivationState of being fascinated
seduction · enticement · lure · beguiling · winsomeness · appeal · fascination · charm offensive · winning ways
deception
Intentional misleading of others
- schemingCrafty and calculating
- subterfugeDeliberate deception to conceal
- maneuveringSkillful directional control
machination · ploy · ruse · trickery · cunning · guile · craftiness · artfulness · wiles · stratagems
- enticementsenticement, inducement, lure, allure, temptation
- flatteryflatter, praise, flattery, compliment, compliments
- persuasionpersuade, persuasion, persuasive, convince, convincing
- sycophancyfawning, toadying, groveling, kowtowing, brown-nosing
- schmoozingschmooze, schmoozing, hobnobbing, glad-handing, mingling
- praiselauding, compliments, laudation, accolades, great job
cajolerycoercion
Pressured compliance through threats
force · compulsion · intimidation · threats · bullying