wheedling

English

Etymology

From wheedle +‎ -ing.

Verb

wheedling

1. present participle and gerund of wheedle

Adjective

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

• wheedlingly

Noun

wheedling (plural wheedlings)

1. The act of one who wheedles.