Building a Better Vocabulary

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Obsequious (adjective)

Servile and fawning; overly deferential.

z Obsequious people show excessive deference to gain favor. They

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meant to score points with those in power.

z Obsequious contains the Latin root usually spelled sequ or sec and

meaning “follow”; in other words, obsequious people follow others

to gain their favor. This fertile root also gives us sequence, non

sequitur, sequel, consecutive, persecute, second, sect, consequence,

and subsequent.

Wheedle (verb)

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z Wheedle is an underused word, but it packs an expressive punch, as

in the following context sentence: “The teenage girl wheedled her

father into letting her drive his Porsche 911 with a few crocodile

tears, a sob story, and the seemingly sincere assurance that he was

‘the best dad in the world.’”

z Wheedle brings to mind the behavior of the snake-oil salesmen,

charlatans, hucksters, and mountebanks we discussed in an earlier

lecture. Common synonyms for wheedle include cajole and coax.

Blandishment (noun)

Flattery that is designed to persuade a listener to do something.

Unctuous (adjective)

Characterized by affected, exaggerated, or insincere earnestness.