Word a Day
cajole
What does cajole mean?
cajole (verb): to persuade someone to do something which they are reluctant to do, especially by flattery or promises; to coax.
Definition: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
How do you use cajole in a sentence?
- He tried to cajole me into buying a candy bar for him. (Tatoeba sentence #12874248 by Teangloir, CC BY 2.0 FR)
How do you pronounce cajole?
/kəˈdʒoʊl/ (IPA, American English). The app reads every word aloud.
Where does cajole come from?
Borrowed from French cajoler, probably a blend of Middle French cageoler (“chatter like a jay”) (from gajole, dialectal diminutive of geai (“jaybird”)) + Old French gaioler (“entice into a cage”), which is from Medieval Latin gabiola.
Etymology: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Test yourself: do you know “cajole”?
Tap an answer to check it. The same questions the app asks.
What does “cajole” mean?
to gradually cause (something frozen, such as earth, ice, or snow) to melt or soften by raising the temperature
Not quite: that's what thaw means.
to evoke, educe (emotions, feelings, responses, etc.); to generate, obtain, or provoke as a response or answer
Not quite: that's what elicit means.
to persuade someone to do something which they are reluctant to do, especially by flattery or promises; to coax
Right! That's what “cajole” means.
to look forth from concealment, especially through a narrow opening, or while trying not to be seen or noticed
Not quite: that's what peep means.
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