inveigle

/ɪnˈveɪgəl/

Other forms: inveigled; inveigling; inveigles

When you tell your boyfriend he’s not just the best boyfriend ever but also the world's best driver, and this makes him offer to drive the whole way on your upcoming road trip, then congratulations. You know how to inveigle, or use charm to coax someone into doing something.

If you successfully inveigle your sister to doing something for you, she must be so caught up in your flattering that she is blind to your true intention. In fact, inveigle comes from the Middle French word aveugler, meaning “delude, make blind,” which can be traced back to the Medieval Latin word ab oculis, or “lacking eyes.” The people you inveigle don't see what you are really up to.

Definitions of inveigle

1. verb

   influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering
   synonyms: blarney, cajole, coax, palaver, sweet-talk, wheedle

   types:

   soft-soap

   persuade someone through flattery

   browbeat, bully, swagger

   discourage or frighten with threats or a domineering manner; intimidate

   type of:

   persuade

   cause somebody to adopt a certain position, belief, or course of action; twist somebody's arm