There are gentle ways and rough ways to get people to do what you want. This topic runs from the softest (a patient, kind word) through sweet talk and temptation to force and threats. Telling them apart helps you judge the characters you read about.
Key idea
Gentle: coax. Sweet talk: cajole, wheedle. Temptation and charm: entice, lure, beguile. Force: compel (can be neutral), coerce (by threats), browbeat (by bullying), extort (getting money or favors by threats).
Two Latin roots sit inside the forceful ones: pel, drive or push (compel, propel, expel), and tort, twist (extort, contort, torture).
The ten words
Common mistake
beguile can mean charm or deceive; read the context. coerce uses pressure or threats; compel can be neutral (the law compels drivers to stop at red lights).
| how gentle? | word | how it works |
|---|---|---|
| gentle | coax | patience and kindness |
| sweet | cajole, wheedle | flattery and sweet talk |
| tempting | entice, lure, beguile | something attractive, or charm |
| firm | compel | force or necessity (can be neutral) |
| rough | coerce, browbeat, extort | threats, bullying, demands |
beguile can praise (a beguiling melody) or warn (beguiled by a swindler), so read the sentence. coerce always means pressure or threats, while compel can be neutral: the law compels drivers to stop at red lights.