Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To win over by coaxing, flattery, or artful talk.
  • transitive verb To obtain by cajolery.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To lead astray by making blind to the truth or to consequences; mislead by deception; entice into violation of duty, propriety, or self-interest: now usually with into.
  • Synonyms To cajole, beguile, lure, insnare, decoy.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To lead astray as if blind; to persuade to something evil by deceptive arts or flattery; to entice; to insnare; to seduce; to wheedle.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive to convert, convince or win over with flattery or wiles
  • verb transitive to obtain through guile or cunning

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English envegle, alteration of Old French aveugler, to blind, from aveugle, blind, from Vulgar Latin *aboculus : Latin ab-, away from; see ab– + Latin oculus, eye (probably translation of Gaulish exsops : exs-, from + ops, eye); see okw- in Indo-European roots.]

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Examples

  • But it was rough even at the dawn of the new century when the Strokes emerged from the Lower East Side read: Dwight School with their post-punk guitars and biscuit-tin drums to capture a city's insouciant attitude and inveigle the rest of the country with it.

    Disco Donors, Punk Pioneers Andy Beta 2011

  • Meanwhile, the company dispatched their own PR professionals to the region to deceive and inveigle and obfuscate, all while treating concerned locals to a public face that was a "diversion" by design.

    Bob Dudley, BP CEO, Blames Media For Creating "Climate Of Fear" In Gulf The Huffington Post News Team 2010

  • By the way, let's check with Hillary whether there's still some way to inveigle Alawi into the top slot.

    Michael Brenner: Inside the Oval Office: The Middle East Michael Brenner 2011

  • Again and again, by feint of foot and hand and body he continued to inveigle Sandel into leaping back, ducking, or countering.

    A PIECE OF STEAK 2010

  • By the way, let's check with Hillary whether there's still some way to inveigle Alawi into the top slot.

    Michael Brenner: Inside the Oval Office: The Middle East Michael Brenner 2011

  • He had led his mother there, step by step, and now when she stopped, he tried to inveigle her farther.

    The Bondage 2010

  • Several times Wolf Larsen tried to inveigle me into discussion, but

    Chapter 9 2010

  • Again and again, by feint of foot and hand and body he continued to inveigle Sandel into leaping back, ducking, or countering.

    A PIECE OF STEAK 2010

  • "Though he's lucky if he pulls even on it, or if he can inveigle a publisher to risk bringing it out."

    Chapter 32 2010

  • It falls to you, therefore, to inveigle a well-heeled person of your acquaintance into scooping you up and whisking you away.

    How do I get… someone to take me on holiday in January 2012

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