English

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Etymology

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From wheedle +‎ -ing.

Verb

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wheedling

  1. present participle and gerund of wheedle

Adjective

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wheedling (comparative more wheedling, superlative most wheedling)

  1. Coaxing, aiming to persuade.
    • 1888, Howard Pyle, “ch. 9”, in Otto of the Silver Hand:
      Then, in a soft, wheedling voice, "Canst thou not let me in, my little bird? Sure there are other lasses besides thyself who would like to trade with a poor peddler who has travelled all the way from Gruenstadt just to please the pretty ones of Trutz-Drachen."
    • 1954, Samuel Beckett, Waiting for Godot[1], →ISBN, page 8:
      ESTRAGON: That would be too bad, really too bad. [Pause.] Wouldn't it, Didi, be really too bad? [Pause.] When you think of the beauty of the way. [Pause.] And the goodness of the wayfarers. [Pause. Wheedling.] Wouldn't it, Didi?

Derived terms

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Noun

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wheedling (plural wheedlings)

  1. The act of one who wheedles.