different between attract vs wheedle

English

Etymology

From Latin attractus, past participle of attrahere (“to draw to, attract”), from ad (“to”) + trahere (“to draw”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??t?ækt/
• Rhymes: -ækt

Verb

attract (third-person singular simple present attracts, present participle attracting, simple past and past participle attracted)

1. To pull toward without touching.
   • 1713, William Derham, Physico-Theology

     All bodies, and all the parts of bodies, mutually attract themselves, and one another.

2. To arouse interest.

3. To draw by moral, emotional or sexual influence; to engage or fix, as the mind, attention, etc.; to invite or allure.

Synonyms

• allure

Antonyms

• repel

Related terms

Translations

Further reading

• attract in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• attract in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• attract at OneLook Dictionary Search

English

Etymology

Origin uncertain. Perhaps continuing Middle English wedlen (“to beg, ask for alms”), from Old English w?dlian (“to be poor, be needy, be in want, beg”), from Proto-Germanic *w?þl?n? (“to be in need”).

More likely, borrowed from German wedeln (“to wag one's tail”), from Middle High German wedelen, a byform of Middle High German wadelen (“to wander, waver, wave, whip, stroke, flutter”), from Old High German w?dal?n (“to wander, roam, rove”). In this case, it may be a doublet of waddle, or an independently formed etymological equivalent.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /??i?.d?l/ (without the wine-whine merger)
• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /?wi?.d?l/ (with the wine-whine merger)

Verb

wheedle (third-person singular simple present wheedles, present participle wheedling, simple past and past participle wheedled)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To cajole or attempt to persuade by flattery.

2. (transitive) To obtain by flattery, guile, or trickery.

Derived terms

• wheedler
• wheedling
• wheedlesome

Translations

Noun

wheedle (plural wheedles)

1. (archaic) A coaxing person.

Anagrams

• wheeled