wheedle

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈwiːdəl/ UK /ˈwiːdəl/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

verb
to use flattery or coaxing to persuade someone to do something

She managed to wheedle an extra day off out of her reluctant boss.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to use flattery or coaxing... coax cajole flatter inveigle blandishsweet-talkpersuade

Opposites

bully coerce force demand

Word family

Forms wheedlingly

Derived forms wheedlerwheedling

Etymology

Of uncertain origin, attested from the mid-17th century. Possibly from German wedeln ('to wag the tail, fawn, flatter'), from Wedel ('fan, tail'), though the connection is disputed.

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# wheedle

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈwiːdəl/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈwiːdəl/

## Meanings
1. to use flattery or coaxing to persuade someone to do something

## Examples
- She managed to wheedle an extra day off out of her reluctant boss.

## Synonyms
- coax
- cajole
- flatter
- inveigle
- blandish
- sweet-talk
- persuade

## Antonyms
- bully
- coerce
- force
- demand

## Derived Forms
- wheedler
- wheedling

## Etymology
Of uncertain origin, attested from the mid-17th century. Possibly from German wedeln ('to wag the tail, fawn, flatter'), from Wedel ('fan, tail'), though the connection is disputed.

## AI Etymology
wheedle is of uncertain origin, attested from the mid-17th century. Possibly from German wedeln ('to wag the tail, fawn, flatter'), from Wedel ('fan, tail'), though the connection is disputed. The explanation preserves that uncertainty: the proposed comparisons illuminate the form, but they do not turn the word into a securely traced inheritance or borrowing. In modern use, the verb sense is "to use flattery or coaxing to persuade someone to do something", which keeps the etymology connected to the word's present dictionary value rather than treating it as a merely historical label. The wider word family includes derivatives such as wheedler, wheedling, showing how the same base continues to support neighboring English vocabulary.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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wheedle

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