coaxing
Americannoun
-
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.
-
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.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The woman crouches, coaxing the animal with sweet compliments and a stick of sugarcane she brought with her.
From Slate • May 27, 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
It was not about coaxing the maximum possible pleasure out of a cut of meat.
From Salon • Apr. 10, 2026
The 25-year-old tech engineer has been coached by his cousin, coaxing the kite higher and higher with a twitch of the string.
From BBC • Feb. 7, 2026
Eventually, after going back and forth, in his mind about who he’d want to live with, and messily jotting his thoughts in the notebook, the smooth, dark road hypnotized Genie, finally coaxing him to sleep.
From "As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
