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wheedling. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
wheedling, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
wheedling in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
wheedling you have here. The definition of the word
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English
Etymology
From wheedle + -ing.
Verb
wheedling
- present participle and gerund of wheedle
Adjective
wheedling (comparative more wheedling, superlative most wheedling)
- 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, →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
Noun
wheedling (plural wheedlings)
- The act of one who wheedles.