Make Your Point > Archived Issues > CAJOLE

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pronounce CAJOLE: Say it "kuh JOLE." Hear it here. connect this word to others: In Don't Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus, the pigeon tries to cajole you into letting him drive the bus:    "I'll be your best friend."    "How 'bout I give you five bucks?"    "I bet your mom would let me." As the pigeon demonstrates, to cajole people into things is to sweet-talk them, to lie to them, to flatter them, to persuade them into doing things that they probably shouldn't. It's importance to notice that cajoling people might be a bad thing, the same as d__ing them: tricking, cheating, or misleading them; while at other times, cajoling people might be a good thing, the same as beg___ling them: charming them in way that seems sneaky or magical. Depending on who's cajoling you, and what they've cajoled you into, afterward, you might be bitter and regretful or amused and spellbound. Or anything in between. (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) definition: "Cajole" came into English through French, but we're not sure exactly what word it traces back to. It might be related to words meaning "cage" or "chatter," either of which would make sense because when you cajole someone, you talk them into doing something. In other words, when you cajole people into doing something, you persuade them gently to do it, often by talking to them in a sneaky, lying, promising, flattering way. grammatical bits: Part of speech: Verb, the transitive kind: "They cajoled us into donating." Other forms:  Cajoled, cajoling, cajolingly; cajoler(s), cajolery ("kuh JO luh ree"). how to use it: Pick the formal, semi-common word "cajole" when you want to emphasize how someone's softness of manner is designed to manipulate someone else into doing something. Talk about someone cajoling someone else ("We eventually agreed, but they had to cajole us"), often in some direction ("She cajoled the kids onto the stage") or into some task or action ("He cajoled them into volunteering"). Or, talk about someone's cajoling voice or facial expression, meaning it's soft, kind, and persuasive. examples: "You're a pretty little duck,' said the enchantress in a kind, cajoling voice."     — Lloyd Alexander, The Black Cauldron, 1965 "'Come on,' Ron said cajolingly, giving the steering wheel a little shake, 'nearly there, come on —' The engine groaned."    — J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, 1998 has this page helped you understand "cajole"? Awesome, I'm glad it helped! Thanks for letting me know! If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. study it: Explain the meaning of "cajole" without saying "coax" or "flatter someone into doing something." try it out: You'll often find the word "cajoling" in a list of things people are attempting, as in "They tried begging, pleading, cajoling, bribing, and threatening, but nothing worked." In your opinion, is cajoling better than begging and pleading? Is it better than bribing? Than threatening? When is cajoling the most appropriate option (if ever)? Why? If you like, use this space to write. (To save your work, copy and paste it into an email or a document.) before you review, play: Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out. Our game this month is Apt Adjective Anagrams! I'll invent a person's name and a brief description, and you unscramble the letters in their name to form an adjective that aptly describes the person or the person's situation. For example: Carl Rebe has three advanced degrees. You rearrange the letters in "Carl Rebe" to form the adjective "cerebral," meaning "brainy, smart, or intellectual.” Sentimental movies always bring Martin Devesto to tears? He’s demonstrative. Lilian Tulip is dainty in the extreme? She’s lilliputian. Tia Fauns runs a sweatshop and is filthy rich? Perhaps she made a bargain with the devil, because her lifestyle is Faustian. To see the answer, scroll all the way down. Try this one today: It's 2022, and Chris Citonana rides a horse to work, uses a dot matrix printer, and starts every business letter with "Dear Sir." review this word: 1. The opposite of CAJOLING, as in "He spoke with a cajoling voice," is A. SOFT or TENDER. B. GRUFF or FACTUAL. C. POWERFUL or STENTORIAN. 2. In a New York Times article about a chorus with over 1,000 members, Michael Cooper wrote, "The choral director peppered his remarks with friendly cajolery... repeatedly telling the singers '_____." A. it does work — I promise B. you will get it right — or else C. if you can't sing nice, sing loud Answers to the review questions: 1. B 2. A Answer to the game question: His habits are anachronistic. a final word: I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From my blog: On vocabulary...       36 ways to study words.       Why we forget words, & how to remember them.       How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. On writing...       How to improve any sentence.       How to motivate our kids to write.       How to stop procrastinating and start writing.       How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count. From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.