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• sweet talk
  sweet talk

  noun

  cajolery; soft soap.
• sweet-talk
  sweet-talk

  verb (used without object)

  to use cajoling words.

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)

sweet-talks, present (3rd person singular) sweet-talked, past participle, past sweet-talking present participle

1. to use cajoling words.

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verb (used with object)

sweet-talks, present (3rd person singular) sweet-talked, past participle, past sweet-talking present participle

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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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

• sweet-talking
  present
• sweet-talked
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• sweet-talk
  simple
• sweet-talks
  simple
• have sweet-talked
  perfect
• has sweet-talked
  perfect
• am sweet-talking
  progressive
• are sweet-talking
  progressive
• is sweet-talking
  progressive
• have been sweet-talking
  perfect progressive
• has been sweet-talking
  perfect progressive

Past

• sweet-talked
  simple
• had sweet-talked
  perfect
• was sweet-talking
  progressive
• were sweet-talking
  progressive
• had been sweet-talking
  perfect progressive

Future

• will sweet-talk
  simple
• will have sweet-talked
  perfect
• will be sweet-talking
  progressive
• will have been sweet-talking
  perfect progressive

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

Well, I know how to sweet talk a Taurus.

From Slate • Dec. 29, 2020

‘My technique and skill combined with Kaiser’s sweet talk? Oh my God. I really want to meet this kid. He’s going to be Superman.”

From The Guardian • Jul. 27, 2018

Still, it wasn’t all sweet talk with her.

From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett