English Explanatory Dictionary

cajole

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To persuade someone to do something which they are reluctant to do, especially by flattery or promises; to coax.
noun
  1. The act of cajoling.

Pronunciation

/kəˈdʒəʊl/ kə-jōlʹ /kəˈd͡ʒoʊl/ en-us-cajole.ogg en-au-cajole.ogg

Word forms

cajole cajoles cajoling cajoled

Etymology

Borrowed from French cajoler, probably a blend of Middle French cageoler (“chatter like a jay”) (from gajole, dialectal diminutive of geai (“jaybird”)) + Old French gaioler (“entice into a cage”), which is from Medieval Latin gabiola, from Late Latin caveola (whence English caveola), diminutive of Latin cavea (“cage, coop, enclosure, stall”). More at cage, cave, cavum, cavus, and jail.

Synonyms

butter up coax entice inveigle sweet-talk wheedle fast-talk blandander blandish cajole canoodle carny collogue croodle engle fleech honey around honey up hum ingle soap soft-sawder soft-soap stroke tweedle twist whilly word

Derived words

cajolable cajolement cajoler cajolingly
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