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inveigle

verb
in·​vei·​gle | \ in-ˈvā-gəl, sometimes -ˈvē- How to pronounce inveigle (audio) \
inveigled; inveigling\ in-​ˈvā-​g(ə-​)liŋ How to pronounce inveigling (audio) , sometimes  -​ˈvē-​ \

Definition of inveigle

transitive verb

1 : to win over by wiles : entice
2 : to acquire by ingenuity or flattery : wangle inveigled her way into a promotion
Other Words from inveigle Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about inveigle

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Other Words from inveigle

inveiglement \ in-​ˈvā-​gəl-​mənt How to pronounce inveiglement (audio) , sometimes  -​ˈvē-​ \ noun
inveigler \ in-​ˈvā-​g(ə-​)lər How to pronounce inveigler (audio) , sometimes  -​ˈvē-​ \ noun

Choose the Right Synonym for inveigle

lure, entice, inveigle, decoy, tempt, seduce mean to lead astray from one's true course. lure implies a drawing into danger, evil, or difficulty through attracting and deceiving. lured naive investors with get-rich-quick schemes entice suggests drawing by artful or adroit means. advertising designed to entice new customers inveigle implies enticing by cajoling or flattering. fund-raisers inveigling wealthy alumni decoy implies a luring into entrapment by artifice. attempting to decoy the enemy into an ambush tempt implies the presenting of an attraction so strong that it overcomes the restraints of conscience or better judgment. tempted by the offer of money seduce implies a leading astray by persuasion or false promises. seduced by assurances of assistance

Did You Know?

Inveigle, a word that dates from the 16th century, refers to the act of using clever talk, trickery, or flattery to either persuade somebody to do something or to obtain something through a similar method. What could such a word possibly have to do with blindness? Inveigle came to English from the Anglo-French verb enveegler, which means "to blind or hoodwink someone," from the adjective enveugle, meaning "blind." Enveugle derives from the Medieval Latin ab oculis, a phrase which literally translates to "lacking eyes." You might say that a person who is inveigled to do or give up something is too "blinded" by someone's words to know that he or she is being tricked.

Examples of inveigle in a Sentence

She inveigled him to write the letter. We inveigled the information from him.

Recent Examples on the Web

 Where Trump bases his judgments and opinions on instinct, Johnson is a notorious strategist who has long plotted how to inveigle his way into the United Kingdom’s top job. — Dan Stewart, Time, "The 3 Big Takeaways from Donald Trump's Controversial Interview with The Sun," 13 July 2018 The allegations by Mayor Giuliani over the weekend, which would lead us to believe that the Trump people think that the FBI had an undercover agent who inveigled his way into the campaign and was there as a spy on the campaign seem to be baseless. — Fox News, "Roseanne critics target Trump," 4 June 2018 Then Napoleon, egged on by his Spanish wife, Eugénie, was inveigled into war with Prussia. — Allan Massie, WSJ, "‘The Shadow Emperor’ Review: The Other Bonaparte," 29 May 2018 Trump’s inveigling and insinuations make the hair stand up on the back of my neck. — William Saletan, Slate Magazine, "James Comey Is Not Alone," 8 June 2017 The tests were designed to find out which visual and verbal elements on the site were most conducive to inveigling users into making donations. — Katy Waldman, Slate Magazine, "Which Version of Donald Trump Got Donors to Part With Their Money?," 10 Feb. 2017 Characters with unfinished business inveigle themselves into his head, [King] said in a telephone interview. — Danielle Tcholakian, Longreads, "Harry Potter and the Long-Term Global Impact," 27 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'inveigle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of inveigle

1539, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for inveigle

Anglo-French enveegler, aveogler, avogler to blind, hoodwink, from avogle, enveugle blind, from Medieval Latin ab oculis, literally, lacking eyes

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More Definitions for inveigle

inveigle

verb
How to pronounce inveigle (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of inveigle

formal
: to persuade (someone) to do something in a clever or deceptive way
: to get (something) in a clever or deceptive way

See the full definition for inveigle in the English Language Learners Dictionary

inveigle

transitive verb
in·​vei·​gle | \ in-ˈvā-gəl, -ˈvē- How to pronounce inveigle (audio) \
inveigled; inveigling

Legal Definition of inveigle

: to lure by false representations or other deceit whoever unlawfully…inveigles, decoys, kidnaps, abducts, or carries away and holds for ransom or reward or otherwise any person…shall be punished by imprisonment — U.S. Code

More from Merriam-Webster on inveigle

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with inveigle

Spanish Central: Translation of inveigle

Nglish: Translation of inveigle for Spanish Speakers

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