wheedle
verb /ˈwiːdl/
/ˈwiːdl/
(disapproving)Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they wheedle | /ˈwiːdl/ /ˈwiːdl/ |
| he / she / it wheedles | /ˈwiːdlz/ /ˈwiːdlz/ |
| past simple wheedled | /ˈwiːdld/ /ˈwiːdld/ |
| past participle wheedled | /ˈwiːdld/ /ˈwiːdld/ |
| -ing form wheedling | /ˈwiːdlɪŋ/ /ˈwiːdlɪŋ/ |
- to persuade somebody to give you something or do something by saying nice things that you do not mean synonym coax
- wheedle something (out of somebody) The kids can always wheedle money out of their father.
- wheedle somebody into doing something She wheedled me into lending her my new coat.
- + speech ‘Come on, Em,’ he wheedled.
Word Originmid 17th cent.: perhaps from German wedeln ‘cringe, fawn’, from Wedel ‘tail, fan’.