Showing results for "coaxing"

• present participle of coax.

coaxing

American  

[kohk-sing] / ˈkoʊk sɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of gently persuading, flattering, cajoling, etc., to influence someone to do something.

   There was a high-spirited stallion that no one dared to ride except Ken—after much coaxing by his companions.

2. the act of manipulating something to a desired end by adroit handling or persistent effort.

   It took some coaxing with the wheel puller and a hammer and chisel, but the brake drum is now off.

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adjective

1. using gentle persuasion, flattery, etc., to influence someone to do something; cajoling.

   In the pool is a coaxing parent, beckoning her timid offspring forward and ready to catch him when he jumps.

Other Word Forms

• half-coaxing
  adjective
• uncoaxing
  adjective
• coaxingly
  adverb
• half-coaxingly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of coaxing

First recorded in 1670–80; coax ¹ + -ing ¹ for the noun senses; coax ¹ + -ing ² for the adjective sense

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

coaxing

The woman crouches, coaxing the animal with sweet compliments and a stick of sugarcane she brought with her.

From Slate ● May 27, 2026

Entrepreneurs Karin Walter-Mommert and Walter Gunz later funded a private rescue, fitting the whale with a tracking device and coaxing it onto a water-filled transport ship called Fortuna B.

From BBC ● May 16, 2026

Eger unlocked one woman’s grief by coaxing her to stand barefoot on her mother’s grave.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026

Time does a surprising amount of work here, coaxing starches to tenderness and flavors to meet each other halfway.

From Salon ● Feb. 8, 2026

The basketball shorts I had on dragged like sails, slowing me down, coaxing me away from the van.

From "100 Sideways Miles" by Andrew Smith

Related Words

• bait
• come-on
• inducement
• sweetener