Advertisement

View synonyms for coax

coax

1

[ kohks ]

verb (used with object)

  1. to influence or persuade to do something by gentle urging, smooth talk, flattery, etc.:

    He tried to coax her to sing, but she refused.

  2. to obtain by coaxing:

    We coaxed the secret from him.

  3. to manipulate to a desired end by adroit handling or persistent effort:

    He coaxed the large chair through the door.

  4. Obsolete.
    1. to fondle.
    2. to fool; deceive.


verb (used without object)

  1. to use gentle persuasion.

coax

2

[ koh-aks, koh-aks ]

noun

, Electricity.

coax

1

/ ˈkəʊæks /

noun

  1. short for coaxial cable


coax

2

/ kəʊks /

verb

  1. to seek to manipulate or persuade (someone) by tenderness, flattery, pleading, etc
  2. tr to obtain by persistent coaxing
  3. tr to work on or tend (something) carefully and patiently so as to make it function as one desires

    he coaxed the engine into starting

  4. obsolete.
    tr to caress
  5. obsolete.
    tr to deceive

Discover More

Derived Forms

  • ˈcoaxer, noun
  • ˈcoaxingly, adverb

Discover More

Other Words From

  • coax·er noun

Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of coax1

First recorded in 1580–90; verb use of obsolete cokes “fool,” perhaps variant of coxcomb ( def )

Origin of coax2

First recorded in 1945–50; by shortening

Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of coax1

C16: verb formed from obsolete noun cokes fool, of unknown origin

Discover More

Example Sentences

I was glad his mother had joined the call, because she, in her pride, coaxed out the stories where he was perhaps too humble to tell them.

Clumpner and Benvenuto in 2019 cited Vancouver’s then 2-year-old vacancy tax, which has since been tripled after the initial rate hadn’t coaxed landlords to fill as many units as hoped.

Snyder has brilliantly played to his players’ strengths and worked around their weaknesses, coaxing a nice bounce-back campaign from Mike Conley while maintaining a positive power dynamic between Donovan Mitchell and Gobert.

One group recently coaxed vacuum bubble-like behavior out of a simple simulation.

I’m guessing some combination of a famous personality, a classic dish and, well, a darn good sauce, coaxed into rich, silken luxury over two-plus hours of cook time.

The congregation was warm, friendly, and welcoming—traits, he says, he later came to believe they used to coax members in.

And of course Baelish materialized (at just the right moment) to save Sansa and coax Lysa away from the ledge.

Even after all the heroes are gone, it lays dormant, waiting for light to coax it out of the shadows.

So instead of tapping into spare capacity, Uber had to coax new capacity into being.

He tried to coax the distraught girl out of silence, inquiring about her school and family life, but her replies were clipped.

But he soon got over his fear, and was so busy feeding the elephant, that his papa had to coax him away.

Sue drew Tessa aside to coax in her plaintively miserable voice, Come home with me; father will say things, and I shall be afraid.

The doctors said we must take the child away, if we would coax her back to health and strength again.

Dont lets overeat, said Tootles seriously, trying to coax forth a smile.

Here, you take hold of the chain, and I will coax the dog to be quiet while I put Jacko on his back.

Advertisement

Related Words

Word of the Day

axolotl

[ak-suh-lot-l ]

Meaning and examples

Start each day with the Word of the Day in your inbox!

By clicking "Sign Up", you are accepting Dictionary.com Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policies.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


coauthorcoaxed