What does cajoler mean?
A cajoler is a person who uses flattering, pleasing, or ingratiating language chiefly to gain favor, attention, or advantage. The word usually carries a critical edge: unlike an honest compliment, a cajoler's praise is portrayed as calculated, excessive, or insincere. As a verb, cajole names the act of flattering someone in this way, while cajoler identifies the person performing it. Although the expression can be used lightly in jokes or satire, it is more common in formal commentary, political discussion, and literary description than in casual conversation. The word entered English in the seventeenth century from French cajoler, meaning “to flatter,” with roots in Provençal. It remains a useful precise label when the important point is not merely that someone praises another, but that the praise is designed to manipulate the relationship between them. Understanding cajoler thus distinguishes social charm calculated for personal gain from praise offered in good faith.
nounA cajoler is a person who cajoles, especially by using flattering, ingratiating, or pleasing words to gain favor or advantage.
- A person who uses flattering or ingratiating language chiefly to gain favor, attention, or advantage.
"The politician's reputation as a cajoler followed him from one election campaign to the next."
"He was such a cajoler that everyone suspected him of flattering them for personal advantage."
"The diplomat's reputation as a cajoler followed him from one embassy to the next."
The regular plural is cajolers.
"The two cajolers competed to see who could offer the mayor the most extravagant praise."
From French for “to flatter” to English, the cajoler has always known exactly what people want to hear.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does cajoler come from?
Cajoler entered English in the seventeenth century as a noun meaning a flatterer, formed from French cajoler, “to flatter.” French cajoler is generally traced to Provençal calhola, also meaning “to flatter,” while English borrowed cajole and developed cajolery from the same source. The related forms reflect a long history of naming both the act of ingratiating speech and the person who practices it.
How cajoler is actually used
The word is normally critical: it implies that the flattery is calculated rather than sincere, although it can also be used jokingly or satirically.
Easily confused with cajoler
Cajole is the verb describing the act of ingratiating someone with flattering language, whereas a cajoler is the person who does it.