cajole

[kuh-johl]

verb (used with or without object)

cajoled, cajoling 

1. to persuade by flattery or promises; wheedle; coax.

cajole

/ kəˈdʒəʊl /

verb

1. to persuade (someone) by flattery or pleasing talk to do what one wants; wheedle; coax

Other Word Forms

• cajolement noun
• cajoler noun
• cajolingly adverb
• uncajoling adjective
• cajolery noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of cajole¹

1635–45; < French cajoler to cajole or chatter like a jaybird, apparently derivative of *cajole birdcage (< Late Latin caveola < Latin cave ( a ) cage + -ola -ole ¹ ( def. ) ) + -er infinitive suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of cajole¹

C17: from French cajoler to coax, of uncertain origin

Example Sentences

With no budget to hire trained reporters, Ned leans on the paper's dwindling staff, cajoling disgruntled employees into volunteering as journalists despite them having no idea what they're doing.

From BBC

Do they need cajoling or taking down a peg or two?

From BBC

So the amount of damage control and cajoling it will take to keep things on track after the disaster in Arizona is enough to make a good fire advocate’s head spin.

From Los Angeles Times

As the administration’s Aug. 12 letter put it, the object is to cajole, and even force, them to all follow “the President’s directive.”

From Salon

The celebratory mood follows days of tense negotiations with Republican rebels in Congress and days of cajoling on Capitol Hill, sometimes by the president himself.

From BBC

Related Words

• deceive 
• delude 
• dupe 
• entice 
• entrap 
• seduce 
• tantalize 
• tempt 
• wheedle