coax

[kohks]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR coax ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to attempt to influence by gentle persuasion, flattery, etc.; cajole: He coaxed her to sing, but she refused.

to obtain by coaxing: We coaxed the secret from him.

to manipulate to a desired end by adroit handling or persistent effort: He coaxed the large chair through the door.

Obsolete.

to fondle.
to fool; deceive.

verb (used without object)

to use gentle persuasion.

Origin of coax

1580–90; v. use of cokes fool (now obsolete), perhaps variant of coxcomb

Related formscoax·er, nouncoax·ing·ly, adverbhalf-coax·ing, adjectivehalf-coax·ing·ly, adverbun·coaxed, adjectiveun·coax·ing, adjective

coax

[koh-aks, koh-aks]

noun Electricity.

coaxial cable.

Origin of coax

First recorded in 1945–50; by shortening

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for coaxes

wheedle, cajole, tease, induce, entice, tempt, barter, flatter, influence, importune, inveigle, soothe, hook, beguile, allure, decoy, pester, wangle, blandish, urge

Examples from the Web for coaxes

Contemporary Examples of coaxes

She coaxes an ice castle up from the ground, throws off her crown, and becomes the Snow Queen.
Why These Marines Love ‘Frozen’—and Why It Matters
Aaron B. O’Connell
June 27, 2014

Historical Examples of coaxes

And theres a boy lives in our street that coaxes me to have a game with him once in a while.
Letty and the Twins
Helen Sherman Griffith
When I get hold of you again, I'll see that no one coaxes you away.
Helen Grant's Schooldays
Amanda M. Douglas
He bows to her, and coaxes her until he gets between her and the water so that she cannot escape him.
Natural History in Anecdote
Various
It coaxes gold to the mint, keeps it there, and does away permanently with bond issues.
The Arena
Various
She coaxes me to rush after her, so as to wean me away from her brood.
Boy Scouts: Tenderfoot Squad
Alan Douglas

British Dictionary definitions for coaxes

coax

verb

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

(tr) to obtain by persistent coaxing

(tr) to work on or tend (something) carefully and patiently so as to make it function as one desireshe coaxed the engine into starting

(tr) obsolete to caress

(tr) obsolete to deceive

Derived Formscoaxer, nouncoaxingly, adverb

Word Origin for coax

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

coax

noun

short for coaxial cable

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

Word Origin and History for coaxes

coax

1580s, originally in slang phrase to make a coax of, from earlier noun coax, cox, cokes "a fool, ninny, simpleton" (1560s); modern spelling is 1706. Origin obscure, perhaps related to cock (n.1). Related: Coaxed; coaxing.