Meaning & use
sweet talk
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Meanings
noununcountableinformaldisapproving
Flattering or charming words used to persuade someone or to get what you want.
Grammar: Uncountable: no amount of sweet talk worked, not a sweet talk.
Patterns
- sweet talk from someone
- with sweet talk
No amount of sweet talk could make the clerk change the rules.
He got his way with a little sweet talk and a big smile.
I have heard enough sweet talk, so give me the facts.
verbtransitiveinformal
To persuade or win over a person with flattery and charm rather than good arguments.
Grammar: Takes an object, often followed by into or out of: she sweet-talked him into helping.
Patterns
- sweet-talk someone into something
- sweet-talk someone out of something
She sweet-talked the guard into letting her through.
He tried to sweet-talk his way out of the parking ticket.
Don't let him sweet-talk you into lending him your car.
Word forms
| third person singular | sweet-talks |
|---|---|
| past tense | sweet-talked |
| past participle | sweet-talked |
| -ing form | sweet-talking |
Common combinations
- sweet talk someone into
- He sweet-talked her into lending him the car.
- sweet talk your way out of
- You cannot sweet-talk your way out of this one.
- smooth sweet talk
- His smooth sweet talk worked on most of the staff.
- a bit of sweet talk
- A bit of sweet talk got us a better table.
- fall for sweet talk
- Don't fall for sweet talk from strangers online.
Synonyms and how they differ
- flattery
- Flattery is excessive praise and is a bit more formal, while sweet talk includes charm and persuasion as a whole.
- cajole
- Cajole is a more formal verb that stresses gentle coaxing, while sweet-talk stresses flattery.
- butter up
- Butter up is closer to sucking up for a favor and sounds more openly self-serving.
- coax
- Coax means gently persuade and need not involve any flattery at all.
Opposites
Word family
- sweet-talker noun
- someone good at charming people
- sweet-talking adjective
- flattering and persuasive
- sweet adjective
- pleasant or kind
- talk noun
- spoken words
Commonly confused: sweet talk or sweet nothings?
sweet talk vs sweet nothings
Sweet nothings are tender words between lovers with no goal, while sweet talk is flattery used to get something.
Practice
He tried to ______ the manager into giving him a refund, but she was not fooled.
Choose one answer.
Sweet-talk is the verb for persuading with flattery. The other options are not real verbs in English.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “sweet talk”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.