cajole
Americanverb (used with or without object)
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cajoles,
present (3rd person singular)
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cajoled,
past participle, past
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cajoling
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
cajolesimple
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cajolessimple
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have cajoledperfect
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has cajoledperfect
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am cajolingprogressive
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are cajolingprogressive
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is cajolingprogressive
-
have been cajolingperfect progressive
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has been cajolingperfect progressive
Past
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cajoledsimple
-
had cajoledperfect
-
was cajolingprogressive
-
were cajolingprogressive
-
had been cajolingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of cajole
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
Explanation
To cajole someone is to persuade them by using insincere compliments or promises. If you say "Please, pretty-please, I'll be your best friend," when asking for a stick of gum, you are cajoling the gum holder. The origin of this word is probably a blend of two French words meaning "to chatter like a jaybird" and "to lure into a cage." When you cajole that guy into lending you some money, picture him as the bird going into the cage. In fact, the word cajole may be associated with another French word meaning "to put in jail."
Vocabulary lists containing cajole
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
His goal is to talk up the VW agreement to cajole workers at Mercedes and other foreign plants into unionizing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 17, 2026
Belgium's outspoken prime minister Bart De Wever will be in the spotlight as his EU counterparts -- most of whom back the plan -- try to cajole him to accept.
From Barron's ● Dec. 18, 2025
My mother did her best to cajole me into going.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 27, 2025
“The US and Qatar can push, they can cajole, they can offer inducements, they can offer to help create the technical solutions,” says Chuck Freilich.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2024
Mother and others who are riding on donkeys must step down and cajole the donkeys to keep moving, and it’s almost impossible to maneuver the carts.
From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar
It’s in one of these quiet moments that Timble gently cajoles Orris in the way only a good friend can.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026
He rallies Ukrainians, calls attention to atrocities, thanks supporters and cajoles allies for aid.
From New York Times ● Dec. 31, 2022
Running around town in his tennis-coach regalia of short shorts and knee-high socks, Richard cajoles, insists, argues and refuses to take no for an answer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 18, 2021
In the film, Zola, played by Paige, strikes up a friendship with a customer, Stefani, played by Keough, who cajoles her into joining her for a weekend of partying in Tampa, Florida.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2021
This nearly cajoles me into thinking I should also know what Marv needs with the money.
From "I Am the Messenger" by Markus Zusak
They coaxed, cajoled, begged and beseeched for support to bring the tournament to North America.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2026
No one should be cajoled into paying for a property that they never use and no longer wish to own.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 5, 2026
The president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner helped move the deal to conclusion while Mr. Trump cajoled, twisted arms and, when necessary, sweet-talked friends and foes alike.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2025
"Maybe it's the failure of Oslo that gave rise to the rather unconventional approach that Trump has taken, where he has short-circuited any sort of process and simply pressured and cajoled," Yacoubian said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2025
In the concessions area at Ellis Island, Lefty had cajoled Desdemona to step into a tent run by the YWCA.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
But the leak did reveal commercially sensitive information, including Anthropic’s proprietary techniques, tools and instructions for cajoling its AI models to work as coding agents.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 1, 2026
A Fed chair can’t change the world on his own; cajoling other Fed officials to back his views requires credibility, among other factors.
From Barron's ● Dec. 11, 2025
It took a month of cajoling, but the script finally passed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 28, 2025
It followed weeks of leaders threatening, cajoling, and otherwise applying maximum pressure and procedural tactics to stop this train from leaving the station.
From Slate ● Apr. 2, 2025
After a lot of hustling and cajoling, Kate got Constance moving, then quick-stepped it to the cafeteria with the smaller girl riding piggyback.
From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
