wheedle
[hweed-l, weed-l]
verb (used with object), whee·dled, whee·dling.
to endeavor to influence (a person) by smooth, flattering, or beguiling words or acts: We wheedled him incessantly, but he would not consent.
to persuade (a person) by such words or acts: She wheedled him into going with her.
to obtain (something) by artful persuasions: I wheedled a new car out of my father.
verb (used without object), whee·dled, whee·dling.
to use beguiling or artful persuasions: I always wheedle if I really need something.
RELATED WORDS
finagle, cajole, draw, oil, court, coax, seduce, flatter, banter, snow, inveigle, persuade, charm, entice, sweet-talk, blandish, kowtow, soap, con, soft-soap
Nearby words
- wheatstone,
- wheatstone bridge,
- wheatstone, sir charles,
- wheatworm,
- whee,
- wheel,
- wheel and axle,
- wheel and deal,
- wheel animalcule,
- wheel back
Origin of wheedle
First recorded in 1655–65; origin uncertain
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for wheedling
wheedle
verb
Word Origin for wheedle
C17: perhaps from German wedeln to wag one's tail, from Old High German wedil, wadil tail
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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wheedle
"to influence by flattery," 1660s, perhaps connected with Old English wædlian "to beg" (from wædl "poverty"), or borrowed by English soldiers in the 17c. German wars from German wedeln "wag the tail," hence "fawn, flatter" (cf. adulation).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper