inveigle means to convert, convince, or win over with flattery or wiles. It carries an Arena rating of 1930, earned across 39 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, inveigle ranks #61 of 17,143 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words, #136 of 17,132 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound, #808 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #1,429 of 17,138 for Most Incisive Words.
inveigle is pronounced /ɪnˈveɪɡl̩/.
Why “inveigle” is a great word
To obtain something from or persuade someone through cunning flattery, guile, or deception. From Anglo-Norman *enveugler*, an alteration of Old French *aveugler* (“to blind, to delude”), from *aveugle* (“blind”), from Late Latin *ab oculīs* (“without eyes”, literally “away from the eyes”). Unlike “entice,” which suggests an open allure, or “persuade,” a neutral appeal to reason, to inveigle is to operate in the shadows, clouding judgment. It is the artful turn of phrase that diverts attention from the contract’s fine print, the whispered confidence that makes folly sound like wisdom, the gentle pressure applied exactly where the armor has a hidden seam. The most effective chains are those the victim does not feel being fastened.
Etymology
Borrowed from Anglo-Norman enveugler, alteration of aveugler (“to blind, to delude”), from Old French avogle (“without eyes”), from Late Latin ab oculīs (“without eyes”, literally “away from the eyes”). The in- might be by analogy to variation between a- and en- in other French words, which was then latinised into in-. For the pronunciation with /iː/, compare the development of people; that with /eɪ/ is presumably a spelling pronunciation.
verb
- To convert, convince, or win over with flattery or wiles.
- To obtain through guile or cunning.e.g.“He inveigled an introduction to my sister from me.”
- To fool, to delude, to blind in judgement.
- To ensnare, to entangle.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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