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.

---

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

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

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

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

"With a face full of resentment and helplessness, it really looks like an employee coaxing themselves to go to work," wrote one Weibo user.

From Barron's • Feb. 5, 2026

Like Ossa, Mamdani said he didn’t need any coaxing to agree to a cat.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 2, 2026

Being scrappy isn’t cutting corners; it’s honoring what’s already here, coaxing richness, texture, and a kind of unexpected delight from what was almost discarded.

From Salon • Dec. 30, 2025

Laura began, snapping on the overly bright overhead light, scaring off whatever shy passion Yoyo, with the blue thread of her writing, had just begun coaxing out of a labyrinth of feelings.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez

Related Words

• bait
• come-on
• inducement
• sweetener