coaxed

American  

[kohkst] / koʊkst /

adjective

1. influenced or persuaded to do something by gentle urging, smooth talk, flattery, etc..

   A coaxed cat will make itself comfortable in your lap for a while, but a forced one will flat out refuse.

2. obtained by gentle urging, sweet talk, flattery, etc..

   The hotel owner eventually offered us a coaxed apology after much back and forth about the lack of cleanliness.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of coax.

Other Word Forms

• uncoaxed adjective

Etymology

Origin of coaxed

First recorded in 1825–35; coax ¹ ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; coax ¹ ( def. ) + -ed ¹ ( def. ) for the verb sense

Example Sentences

Rescuers coaxed him away but only as far as nearby Poel Island, where he is now lying on the seabed.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

If Iran can’t be coaxed by China or other mediators to reach terms, he may have to escalate more than he ever intended or wanted to.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

The average rate on a 30-year mortgage is now at the lowest it’s been since 2022, raising hopes that potential buyers can be coaxed to participate in the spring buying season.

From Barron's • Feb. 27, 2026

Now it’s graduation day, when native plants coaxed from seedling trays to 1-gallon pots stand ready for planting on the crossing itself this month.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 22, 2025

The original mortgage bond market had come into the world in much the same way, messily, coaxed into existence by the extreme interest of a small handful of people on the margins of high finance.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis