pester power

British

noun

the ability possessed by a child to nag a parent relentlessly until the parent succumbs and agrees to the child's request

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

Most parents don't need any persuading to know advertising works, having seen younger children employ "pester power" and older children spend their pocket money on unhealthy options.

From Salon • Jun. 21, 2023

Either way, that figure becomes the face of the movie, lighting up the pester power of every kid who glimpses them.

From Salon • Dec. 2, 2022

"Parents are being stronger with pester power and saying 'no' at low price points, but they are not over-indulging at the highest prices either," Ms Symonds said.

From BBC • Nov. 8, 2022

Children's pester power is losing some of its impact in the run-up to Christmas owing to the soaring cost of living, an expert has said.

From BBC • Nov. 8, 2022

I'm deeply indebted to my dad, John Black, for not caving in to the pester power of his sons that night, otherwise I would have missed this musical milestone.

From The Guardian • Aug. 24, 2012

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