Coax
Verb
UK
/kəʊks/
US
/koĘŠks/
Definition
To gently convince someone by being kind or patient.
Example
"She coaxed her shy cat to come out from under the bed."
"The teacher coaxed the nervous student to present by praising his earlier practice."
"He coaxed the old car’s engine to start after several careful adjustments."
Explanation
To coax means to gently convince someone to do something by being kind, patient, or giving small rewards. For example, a parent may coax a child to eat vegetables by offering dessert. Unlike forcing, coaxing is soft and supportive. It can also mean carefully working with objects, like coaxing a stuck key into a lock. The word shows patience and gentleness instead of pushing or ordering. Coaxing is common in families, teaching, sales, and everyday life, where kindness works better than being strict.