inveigle

American  

[in-vey-guhl, -vee-] / ɪnˈveɪ gəl, -ˈvi- /

verb (used with object)

inveigled, inveigling

1. to entice, lure, or ensnare by flattery or artful talk or inducements (usually followed byinto ).

   to inveigle a person into playing bridge.

   Synonyms:

   persuade, beguile, induce

2. to acquire, win, or obtain by beguiling talk or methods (usually followed by from oraway ).

   to inveigle a theater pass from a person.

   Synonyms:

   wheedle

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inveigle British  

/ -ˈveɪ-, ɪnˈviːɡəl /

verb

1. (tr; often foll by into or an infinitive) to lead (someone into a situation) or persuade (to do something) by cleverness or trickery; cajole

   to inveigle customers into spending more

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Other Word Forms

• inveiglement
  noun
• inveigler
  noun
• uninveigled
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of inveigle

1485–95; variant of envegle < Anglo-French enveogler, equivalent to en- en- ¹ + Old French ( a ) vogler to blind, derivative of avogle blind < Vulgar Latin *aboculus eyeless, adj. derivative of phrase *ab oculīs without eyes. See ab-, ocular

Explanation

When you tell your boyfriend he’s not just the best boyfriend ever but also the world's best driver, and this makes him offer to drive the whole way on your upcoming road trip, then congratulations. You know how to inveigle, or use charm to coax someone into doing something. If you successfully inveigle your sister to doing something for you, she must be so caught up in your flattering that she is blind to your true intention. In fact, inveigle comes from the Middle French word aveugler, meaning “delude, make blind,” which can be traced back to the Medieval Latin word ab oculis, or “lacking eyes.” The people you inveigle don't see what you are really up to.

Example Sentences

To reach Peru, Dr. Koepcke had to first get to a port and inveigle his way onto a trans-Atlantic freighter.

From New York Times • Jun. 18, 2021

There really was an Abigail; she really did inveigle herself into the Queen’s esteem; and the Duchess of Marlborough really was incensed.

From The New Yorker • Nov. 16, 2018

I nearly tried to inveigle myself into being pelted with over-ripe tomatoes back at the Grizedale project, but ran away at the last moment.

From The Guardian • Oct. 10, 2012

A report this week by McAfee, a computer-security company, reveals the results of a five-year probe called Operation Shady RAT, examining attacks that use “Remote Access Tools” to inveigle access to computer networks.

From Economist • Aug. 3, 2011

Naturally Finny was going to be the first to try, and just as naturally he was going to inveigle others, us, into trying it with him.

From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles