coax

¹ American  

[kohks] / koʊks /

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.

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verb (used without object)

1. to use gentle persuasion.

coax ² American  

[koh-aks, koh-aks] / koʊˈæks, ˈkoʊ æks /

noun

Electricity.

1. coaxial cable.

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coax ¹ British  

/ 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

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coax ² British  

/ ˈkəʊæks /

noun

1. short for coaxial cable

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Other Word Forms

• coaxer noun
• coaxingly adverb

Etymology

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

Explanation

When you coax someone, you try to convince him gently, with pleasant words and maybe a little flattery. You’ll have to be patient, as you can’t rush someone you’re trying to coax. When you coax, you have to be nice about it — you can’t threaten or force. You put on a little charm and gently urge, so that the person or thing is happy about being coaxed. You might coax the runaway elephant back into the zoo by patting her gently and talking into her ear. If you wake up with a terrible bedhead, you might coax your hair back into place with the help of a little hair gel and a comb.

Example Sentences

"One of the responding officers was able to gently coax the bird using food, and the parrot quickly became comfortable, even perching on the officer's hand and shoulder," the airport said in a statement.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

And they keep rising, even as policymakers try to coax that money back into the economy.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 18, 2026

Consumption has remained stubbornly sluggish post-pandemic despite government efforts to coax spending.

From Barron's • Mar. 4, 2026

Vail Resorts MTN -0.90%decrease; red down pointing triangle is cutting the price of next year’s Epic Pass by 20% for young people, another step to coax customers to its mountains.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026

Beidleman tried to coax everyone to their feet and get them moving in the direction indicated by Schoening, but Pittman, Fox, Weathers, and Namba were too feeble to walk.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer

Related Words

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