BLARNEY

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does blarney mean? 

• BLARNEY (noun)
  The noun BLARNEY has 1 sense:

1. flattery designed to gain favor

  Familiarity information: BLARNEY used as a noun is very rare.

• BLARNEY (verb)
  The verb BLARNEY has 1 sense:

1. influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering

  Familiarity information: BLARNEY used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BLARNEY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Flattery designed to gain favor

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

blarney; coaxing; soft soap; sweet talk

Hypernyms ("blarney" is a kind of...):

flattery (excessive or insincere praise)

Derivation:

blarney (influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering)

• BLARNEY (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

blarney; cajole; coax; inveigle; palaver; sweet-talk; wheedle

Context example:

He palavered her into going along

Hypernyms (to "blarney" is one way to...):

persuade (cause somebody to adopt a certain position, belief, or course of action; twist somebody's arm)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "blarney"):

soft-soap (persuade someone through flattery)

browbeat; bully; swagger (discourage or frighten with threats or a domineering manner; intimidate)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody into V-ing something

Derivation:

blarney (flattery designed to gain favor)