wheedleverb [ I, T + adv/prep ]
uk/ˈwiː.dəl/us/ˈwiː.dəl/disapprovingto try to persuade someone to do something or give you something by praising them or being intentionally charming:
She's one of those children who can wheedle you into giving her anything she wants.
She wasn't invited, but somehow she managed to wheedle her way in.
I tried different approaches - I wheedled, threatened, demanded, cajoled.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Urging & persuading
- argumentation
- blag
- brainwash
- bring
- browbeat
- butter
- cajole
- get sth out of sb
- persuade
- persuasion
- preach
- prevail on/upon sb
- proselytize
- rush sb into (doing) sth
- sucker sb into sth
- swing
- talk sb down
- talk sb out of sth
- twist
- work on sb
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wheedling
adjective uk/ˈwiː.dəl.ɪŋ/us/ˈwiː.dəl.ɪŋ/
I knew by your wheedling tone that you wanted something from me.