sweet talk

¹ American  

noun

Informal.

1. cajolery; soft soap.

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sweet-talk ² American  

[sweet-tawk] / ˈswitˌtɔk /

verb (used without object)

1. to use cajoling words.

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verb (used with object)

1. to use cajoling words on in order to persuade; soft-soap.

   They tried to sweet-talk the boss into giving them raises.

sweet-talk British  

verb

1. to coax, flatter, or cajole (someone)

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noun

1. cajolery; coaxing

sweet talk Idioms  

1. Flattery, cajolery, as in She uses sweet talk to get her way. [First half of 1900s]

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Etymology

Origin of sweet talk¹

First recorded in 1925–30

Origin of sweet-talk²

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

It’s a central theme in my book to help clarify that no amount of sweet talk can replace the inevitable loss, the inherent loss, that is adoption.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 25, 2023

We jump from screaming to sweet talk, and from current subplot to the far past to a few days ago.

From Salon • Jan. 14, 2023

His next move was to sweet talk a superstar.

From The Guardian • Oct. 1, 2020

She has kept up the sweet talk ever since.

From New York Times • Sep. 2, 2019

This was followed by a lot of sweet talk, which luckily Mother didn’t fall for this time.

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank