Cajole

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /kəˈdʒəʊl/

Definitions

1. To persuade someone through flattery, gentle urging, or persistent coaxing rather than force or direct command
2. To influence someone to do something by using charm, gentle persuasion, or sweet-talking rather than through pressure or threats
3. To encourage another person to act in a desired way through flattering remarks, coaxing, or appealing to their emotions instead of using demands

Etymology: The verb "cajole" began life as a bird-related idea. French speakers had a dialect word "gajole," a small form of "geai," meaning jaybird, and the French verb "cageoler" meant to chatter like a jay. Those jays were noisy and easily fooled, so the image of chattering and flattering blended with another French verb, "gaioler," meaning to entice someone into a cage. That second verb traces back through Medieval Latin "gabiola" to Late Latin "caveola," a little cage, itself a diminutive of Latin "cavea," meaning cage, coop or enclosure. So the same root that gives English "cage" sits behind this word. Its modern sense, to persuade through soft words and charm, preserves the idea of luring someone toward a trap.

Synonyms: coax, persuade, wheedle, entice, influence

Antonyms: dissuade, discourage, repel, force, insist