Wheedle
Etymology
A seventeenth-century word of uncertain origin. One proposal traces it to German "wedeln" (to wag the tail, to fawn), which fits its fawning, tail-wagging flavor; another looks to an Old English source. The uncertainty is worth flagging — no derivation is settled — but the coaxing, ingratiating sense has been stable since it appeared.
verb · /WEE-duhl/
To persuade someone by flattery, soft words, or coaxing.
What it names
Winning someone over through charm and honeyed persistence rather than force or reason.
Example
She could wheedle an extra day out of almost any deadline with the right mix of praise and apology.
Related idea
Cajole and wheedle both mean to coax, but wheedle carries a sharper note of flattering, almost fawning persistence.
See also