coaxing

American

[kohk-sing] / ˈkoʊk sɪŋ /

noun

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

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

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.

Coaxing extra fudginess out of brownies with coffee, without sacrificing the requisite crinkle top.

From Salon • May 12, 2026

Coaxing Moeen Ali out of retirement to solve an Ashes spin-bowling problem was the best move England could make.

From BBC • Jun. 15, 2023

Coaxing Maduro into restarting political talks with Venezuela's opposition is another aim, two of the people told Reuters.

From Reuters • Jun. 5, 2022

Coaxing figures out of the shadows seems to be a recurring theme on Washington stages these days, as more theaters emerge from the dark corners of the shutdown.

From Washington Post • Feb. 8, 2022

Coaxing a fresh blaze with a blowpipe, he found tongs and with them held a portion of the collar carefully to the blast, his corded, brown old back gleaming with the heat.

From "The Golden Goblet" by Eloise Jarvis McGraw

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023