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pester power

British

noun

the ability possessed by a child to nag a parent relentlessly until the parent succumbs and agrees to the child's request

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

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pester power

There’s a store chain called Five Below that is designed to maximize pester power.

From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026

Most parents don't need any persuading to know advertising works, having seen younger children employ "pester power" and older children spend their pocket money on unhealthy options.

From Salon ● Jun. 21, 2023

Either way, that figure becomes the face of the movie, lighting up the pester power of every kid who glimpses them.

From Salon ● Dec. 2, 2022

Mr Swann said he was not "asking for pester power or nagging" and appealed to those with friends and children in the 18-plus age group to "make an informed decision on vaccination".

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2021

The museum records how giveaway toys were being used by then too, to attract children's loyalty and to encourage early pester power and repeat purchases.

From The Guardian ● Nov. 23, 2010

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023