Words / B2

KOHKS/kəʊks/

To coax is to persuade someone gently, or to get something to work with patient effort: coax a witness; coax a machine into life. Persuade is broader (already elsewhere); force is the opposite. Coax a reluctant witness, then quote the line. Mix-up: coax vs coaxial cable; hoax. Do not write coax for a legal order.

Meaning

To persuade someone gently, or to get something to work with patient effort.

Examples

• “Coax a reluctant witness, then quote the line; do not invent consent.”
• “They coaxed the generator into starting, which is the patient-effort sense.”

Good to know

coax + someone + into / to; coax + machine. Broader: persuade. Trap: hoax / coaxial. Orals, news, and practicals. Gentle persuasion, not a command.

Near in meaning

persuade

New