coax

¹

[kohks]

verb (used with object)

1. to influence or persuade to do something by gentle urging, smooth talk, flattery, etc..

   He tried to coax her to sing, but she refused.

2. to obtain by coaxing.

   We coaxed the secret from him.

3. to manipulate to a desired end by adroit handling or persistent effort.

   He coaxed the large chair through the door.

4. Obsolete.

   1. to fondle.

   2. to fool; deceive.

verb (used without object)

1. to use gentle persuasion.

coax

²

[koh-aks, koh-aks]

noun

Electricity.

1. coaxial cable.

coax

¹

/ kəʊks /

verb

1. to seek to manipulate or persuade (someone) by tenderness, flattery, pleading, etc

2. (tr) to obtain by persistent coaxing

3. (tr) to work on or tend (something) carefully and patiently so as to make it function as one desires

   he coaxed the engine into starting

4. obsolete,  (tr) to caress

5. obsolete,  (tr) to deceive

coax

²

/ ˈkəʊæks /

noun

1. short for coaxial cable

Other Word Forms

• coaxer noun
• coaxingly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of coax¹

First recorded in 1580–90; verb use of obsolete cokes “fool,” perhaps variant of coxcomb ( def. )

Origin of coax²

First recorded in 1945–50; by shortening

Word History and Origins

Origin of coax¹

C16: verb formed from obsolete noun cokes fool, of unknown origin

Example Sentences

He writes of how, “like hungry street cats,” they coax from their captors “a wedge of clementine, a single popcorn.”

Read more on Wall Street Journal

“We weren’t able to free it by just coaxing it out.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Staff working on the project start early in the morning, walking around the docks and coaxing workers off the boats with promises of free health screenings and physio.

Read more on BBC

They coaxed performances from Indy using a painstaking process of setting up experiences for him to react to, whether it was strategically employing food or creating a noise that’s novel to Indy.

Read more on Salon

"Until quite recently, I hadn't managed to throw off the memory of children who needed to be gently coaxed through their dialogue in a big scary film studio."

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• cajole 
• entice 
• induce 
• tease 
• tempt 
• wheedle