WHEEDLE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does wheedle mean? 

• WHEEDLE (verb)
  The verb WHEEDLE has 1 sense:

1. influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering

  Familiarity information: WHEEDLE used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• WHEEDLE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they wheedle    ... he / she / it wheedles   
Past simple: wheedled   
Past participle: wheedled   
-ing form: wheedling   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

blarney; cajole; coax; inveigle; palaver; sweet-talk; wheedle

Context example:

He palavered her into going along

Hypernyms (to "wheedle" is one way to...):

persuade (cause somebody to adopt a certain position, belief, or course of action; twist somebody's arm)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "wheedle"):

soft-soap (persuade someone through flattery)

browbeat; bully; swagger (discourage or frighten with threats or a domineering manner; intimidate)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody into V-ing something

Sentence example:

They wheedle him into writing the letter

Derivation:

wheedler (someone who tries to persuade by blandishment and coaxing)

wheedling (the act of urging by means of teasing or flattery)

 Context examples 

Laurie came every day, and wheedled Aunt March till Amy was allowed to go out with him, when they walked and rode and had capital times.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

“He was crossing you and wheedling you, I saw; and you were soft wax in his hands, I saw. Had I left the room a minute, when his man told me that “Young Innocence” (so he called you, and you may call him “Old Guilt” all the days of your life) had set his heart upon her, and she was giddy and liked him, but his master was resolved that no harm should come of it—more for your sake than for hers—and that that was their business here?

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

She has abilities, however, as well as affections; and it is now a doubtful point whether his cunning, or hers, may finally carry the day; whether, after preventing her from being the wife of Sir Walter, he may not be wheedled and caressed at last into making her the wife of Sir William.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

He backed away from her and began writhing and twisting playfully, curvetting and prancing, half rearing and striking his fore paws to the earth, struggling with all his body, from the wheedling eyes and flattening ears to the wagging tail, to express the thought that was in him and that was denied him utterance.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

And they enslaved you over again—but not frankly, as the true, noble men would do with weight of their own right arms, but secretly, by spidery machinations and by wheedling and cajolery and lies.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

You're an artful little puss to flatter and wheedle your cross old sister in that way.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

To go petting Papa and helping you, just to wheedle you into liking him.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

He wheedled, bribed, ridiculed, threatened, and scolded; affected indifference, that he might surprise the truth from her; declared he knew, then that he didn't care; and at last, by dint of perseverance, he satisfied himself that it concerned Meg and Mr. Brooke.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)