Wheedle

 WORD OF THE DAY

wheedle / verb / WEE-dul

Definition
1: to influence or entice by soft words or flattery
2: to gain or get by wheedling
3: to use soft words or flattery

Examples
"In the book [Françoise Gilot] recalls a moment when Claude, a small boy, pleaded to be allowed into her studio. Loitering just outside her door, he wheedled, 'I love you, Mama.' No luck. He liked her painting, he told her, adding after a time, 'It's better than Papa's.' At that, she weakened and welcomed him inside."
— Ruth La Ferla, The New York Times, 19 Jan. 2022

The aim of Just Stop Oil and Letzte Generation has been to wheedle people for not caring more about the climate crisis.
 — Robinson Meyer, The Atlantic, 27 Oct. 2022

Did You Know?
Wheedle has been a part of the English lexicon since the mid-17th century, though no one is quite sure how it wheedled its way in.
(It has been suggested that the term may have come from the Old English word wǽdlian, which meant "to beg," but this is far from certain.)
Be careful not to confuse wheedle with the similar-sounding weasel.
While both words are applied in situations in which someone is trying to persuade another person, weasel is especially apt in cases in which the persuader is being clever or dishonest in their efforts, while wheedle always specifically involves soft words and flattery.