English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology
FreeDict.com
verb

blandish

Blandish (verb) means to persuade someone by using flattery; to cajole.

verb
1
To persuade someone by using flattery; to cajole.
2
To praise someone dishonestly; to flatter or butter up.
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “blandish” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage

Etymology

From Middle English blaundishen (“to flatter; to fawn; to be enticing or persuasive; to be favourable; of the sea: to become calm”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman blaundishen, from blandiss-, the extended stem of Middle French blandir + Middle English -ishen (suffix forming verbs). Blandir is derived from Latin blandīrī (“to fawn, flatter; to delude”), from blandus (“fawning, flattering, smooth, suave; persuasive; alluring, enticing, seductive; agreeable, pleasant”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)mel- (“erroneous, false; bad, evil”)) + -iō (suffix forming causative verbs from adjectives). The English word is analysable as bland + -ish; compare bland (“agreeable, pleasant, suave; mild, soothing”).

Rhymes for blandish

See all rhymes for blandish →

Frequently asked questions

What is the meaning of blandish?

"blandish" (verb) means to persuade someone by using flattery; to cajole.

What are the different meanings of blandish?

"blandish" has 2 main meanings: 1. To persuade someone by using flattery; to cajole; 2. To praise someone dishonestly; to flatter or butter up.

Definitions from wiktionary, CC BY-SA · etymology from Wiktionary