wheedle
5 synonyms for wheedle, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Verb — To try to persuade someone by flattering them.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Etymology
Uncertain. Perhaps continuing Middle English wedlen (“to beg, ask for alms”), from Old English wǣdlian (“to be poor, be needy, be in want, beg”), from Proto-Germanic *wēþlōną (“to be in need”). Alternatively , borrowed from German wedeln (“to wag one's tail”), from Middle High German wedelen, a byform of Middle High Ge...
Full origin of wheedle →