English Explanatory Dictionary

wheedle

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To cajole or attempt to persuade by flattery.
  2. To obtain by flattery, guile, or trickery.
noun
  1. A coaxing person.

Pronunciation

/ˈʍiː.dəl/ /ˈwiː.dəl/ en-us-wheedle.ogg

Word forms

wheedle wheedles wheedling wheedled

Etymology

Uncertain. Perhaps continuing Middle English wedlen (“to beg, ask for alms”), from Old English wǣdlian (“to be poor, be needy, be in want, beg”), from Proto-Germanic *wēþlōną (“to be in need”). Alternatively , borrowed from German wedeln (“to wag one's tail”), from Middle High German wedelen, a byform of Middle High German wadelen (“to wander, waver, wave, whip, stroke, flutter”), from Old High German wādalōn (“to wander, roam, rove”). In this case, it may be a doublet of waddle, or an independently formed etymological equivalent. The ⟨wh⟩ spelling (reflecting pronunciations with /ʍ/) is apparently unetymological.

Synonyms

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

Derived words

wheedler wheedling wheedlesome
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