wheedle
Coax with flattery
To wheedle is to coax or persuade through flattery, charm, or gentle persistence.
The word carries a slight negative charge—wheedling implies manipulation rather than honest appeal: She wheedled her way into the VIP section, He wheedled money out of his parents.
Children wheedle for treats; salespeople wheedle for signatures.
Persuade by gentle urging
- cajolePersuade through flattery
- sweet-talkFlatter to persuade
- soft-soapPersuade through flattery
- blandishCoax through flattery
inveigle · beguile · entice · persuade · smooth-talk · convince · induce · sway
Excessive insincere praise
- fawnYoung deer, or flatter
- complimentWords expressing approval
- adulationExtravagant, servile praise
- sycophantServile praise-giver
toady · bootlick · apple-polish · brown-nose · ingratiate · grovel · kowtow · fawning
coax
Persuade by gentle urging
- cajolePersuade through flattery
- sweet-talkFlatter to persuade
- soft-soapPersuade through flattery
blandish · inveigle · beguile · entice · persuade · smooth-talk · convince · induce · sway · influence
flattery
Excessive insincere praise
- fawnYoung deer, or flatter
- complimentWords expressing approval
- adulationExtravagant, servile praise
sycophant · toady · bootlick · apple-polish · brown-nose · ingratiate · grovel · kowtow · fawning · gushing
beg
Ask with desperation
beseech · importune · supplicate · appeal · press · urge · nag · pester · badger · hound
manipulate
Control through clever influence
finagle · wangle · scheme · connive · contrive · trick · dupe · mislead · outwit · play
- flatteryflatter, praise, flattery, compliment, compliments
- persuasionpersuade, persuasion, persuasive, convince, convincing
- persuasion tacticscharm, butter up, flattery, flatter, coax
- deceptionlie, lies, lying, fake, fraud
- bring outdraw out, bring forth, elicit, evoke, educe
wheedlespeak plainly
undeceive · tell the truth · disenchant · level with · lay it on the line