coaxing
Sweet-talking someone along
Coaxing is gentle, persistent persuasion—the kind that works through patience rather than force.
You coax a reluctant child into eating vegetables, coax a car engine to turn over on a cold morning, coax information from someone who's hesitant to share.
The word suggests a soft touch: With some coaxing, she agreed to sing.
As an adjective, a coaxing tone or manner is warm and encouraging.
Persuading through flattery
- wheedlingPersuading through flattery
- urgingStrongly encouraging action
- convincingAble to persuade
- enticingPowerfully attractive
pleading · sweet-talking · inducement · charm · flattery · encouragement · appealing · beguiling
Reducing distress or discomfort
- tenderSoft or sore
- patientAble to wait calmly
- nurturingSupportive care-giving
- reassuringRestoring calm or confidence
soft-spoken · encouraging · kindly · warm · calming · comforting · delicate · softness
Sly, scheming cleverness
- calculatingColdly self-serving in strategy
- schemingCrafty and calculating
- artfulCleverly deceptive
- craftyCleverly deceptive
sly · wily · subtle · guileful · conniving · insidious · underhanded · disingenuous
Negotiating mutually acceptable terms
- hagglingNegotiating a lower price
- persuadingInducing belief or action
- compromisingExposing to harm or scandal
- deal-makingNegotiating agreements between parties
give-and-take · sweetening · incentivizing · offering · mediating · conceding · trading · exchanging
Exerting influence to compel
- arm-twistingForceful influence tactics
- bullyingAggressive repeated intimidation
- forcingCompelling through pressure
- intimidatingInspiring fear or unease
threatening · strong-arming · pushing · compelling · browbeating · insisting · demanding · railroading
cajoling
Persuading through flattery
- wheedlingPersuading through flattery
- urgingStrongly encouraging action
- convincingAble to persuade
enticing · pleading · sweet-talking · inducement · charm · flattery · encouragement · appealing · beguiling · inveigling
soothing
Reducing distress or discomfort
reassuring · soft-spoken · encouraging · kindly · warm · calming · comforting · delicate · softness · gentleness
cunning
Sly, scheming cleverness
- calculatingColdly self-serving in strategy
- schemingCrafty and calculating
- artfulCleverly deceptive
crafty · sly · wily · subtle · guileful · conniving · insidious · underhanded · disingenuous · tricky
bargaining
Negotiating mutually acceptable terms
- hagglingNegotiating a lower price
- persuadingInducing belief or action
- compromisingExposing to harm or scandal
deal-making · give-and-take · sweetening · incentivizing · offering · mediating · conceding · trading · exchanging · parleying
pressuring
Exerting influence to compel
- arm-twistingForceful influence tactics
- bullyingAggressive repeated intimidation
- forcingCompelling through pressure
intimidating · threatening · strong-arming · pushing · compelling · browbeating · insisting · demanding · railroading · steamrolling
- enticementsenticement, inducement, lure, allure, temptation
- persuadingpersuading, convincing, urging, influencing, swaying
- persuasionpersuade, persuasion, persuasive, convince, convincing
- persuasion tacticscharm, butter up, flattery, flatter, manipulation
- promptsprompt, prompts, prompting, cue, hint
- coercionduress, coercing, compelling, threat, forcing
coaxingdemanding
Requiring great effort
forcing · threatening · compelling · bullying · coercing
coaxingdissuading
Advising against action
discouraging · dissuasive · deterring · repelling · putting off
coaxingallowing
Granting permission to proceed
letting be · leaving alone · permitting · accepting · acquiescing