cajole

American

[kuh-johl] / kəˈdʒoʊl /

verb (used with or without object)

cajoled, cajoling

to persuade by flattery or promises; wheedle; coax.

cajole British

/ kəˈdʒəʊl /

verb

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

"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

Other Word Forms

cajolement noun
cajoler noun
cajolery noun
cajolingly adverb
uncajoling adjective

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

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.

More Celtic people streamed on, dancing and waving and cajoling.

From BBC

When that failed, it cajoled and persuaded many of its allies to join in a coalition of the willing.

From The Wall Street Journal

But Huntley refused to be pictured, would not be cajoled and got quite angry.

From BBC

No one should be cajoled into paying for a property that they never use and no longer wish to own.

From MarketWatch

He has complied with court orders, even if the administration’s attorneys have required cajoling by district judges on the matter of immigration.

From The Wall Street Journal

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