SAT Vocab: Understanding ‘Cajole’ – Gentle Persuasion Explained
Learn about the verb ‘cajole’, its meaning, history, and usage. Discover synonyms, antonyms, and common errors to avoid. Perfect for SAT prep and expanding your vocabulary.
Imagine you’re at a family gathering, and your aunt is trying her best to convince you to try her infamous mystery casserole.
She’s using every trick in the book – compliments, guilt trips, and even bribery. What she’s doing is a perfect example of our word for today: cajole.
Word type: Cajole is a verb.
Meaning: To cajole means to persuade someone to do something by sustained coaxing or flattery.
It’s the art of gently urging or convincing someone, often through charm, praise, or promises.
Word history:
The word cajole has an interesting history. It entered the English language in the early seventeenth century, derived from the French word cajoler, which meant to chatter like a bird or to babble.
Over time, its meaning evolved to imply persuasion through flattery or false promises.
Antonyms: Some antonyms for cajole include discourage, dissuade, and deter.
While cajole involves gentle persuasion, these words involve convincing someone not to do something.
Synonyms: Synonyms for cajole include coax, wheedle, sweet-talk, and persuade. All these words involve trying to convince someone, but cajole specifically implies using charm or flattery.
Examples use in sentences: Let’s look at some examples of how to use cajole in a sentence: The salesman tried to cajole the customer into buying the expensive car by emphasizing its luxury features.
Despite her best efforts to cajole her little brother into eating his vegetables, he stubbornly refused.
The politician cajoled voters with promises of lower taxes and better public services. Common errors in use:
One common error when using cajole is confusing it with force or coerce. Remember, cajole implies gentle persuasion, not forceful demand.
Another mistake is using it as a noun – cajole is always a verb. As you prepare for the SAT, remember that understanding words like cajole can significantly boost your vocabulary and comprehension skills.
Cajole is not just a word to memorize, but a concept to understand. It represents a subtle form of persuasion that you might encounter in literature, history, or even in your daily life.
Keep practicing with words like these, and you’ll be well on your way to acing the verbal section of the SAT.
