coaxing

[ kohk-sing ]

noun

1. the act of gently persuading, flattering, cajoling, etc., to influence someone to do something:

   There was a high-spirited stallion that no one dared to ride except Ken—after much coaxing by his companions.

2. the act of manipulating something to a desired end by adroit handling or persistent effort:

   It took some coaxing with the wheel puller and a hammer and chisel, but the brake drum is now off.

adjective

1. using gentle persuasion, flattery, etc., to influence someone to do something; cajoling:

   In the pool is a coaxing parent, beckoning her timid offspring forward and ready to catch him when he jumps.

Other Words From

• coax·ing·ly adverb
• half-coax·ing adjective
• half-coax·ing·ly adverb
• un·coax·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of coaxing¹

First recorded in 1670–80; coax ¹ + -ing ¹ for the noun senses; coax ¹ + -ing ² for the adjective sense

Example Sentences

Jones earned rave reviews in his early England days, with captain Jamie George lauding the "crazy energy" he was coaxing from their defence.

From BBC

The network axed footage of Jones and barbers coaxing Trump back on track, cutting straight to his eventual half-answer.

From Salon

Trump's instinct in these situations is to lie his head off, coaxing his followers to further alienate themselves from facts and put their trust solely in him.

From Salon

Washington came into the job with a clear checklist of expectations, which included developing a strong work ethic among players, coaxing consistency out of them and teaching them to sustain effort.

From Los Angeles Times

Roughly half of Americans subscribe to to some sort of conspiracy theory, and their fellow humans haven’t had much success coaxing them out of their rabbit holes.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bland
• slick