Word Study
flatter (root: flat)
CIDE DICTIONARY
flatter, n.
- One who, or that which, makes flat or flattens. [1913 Webster]
- A flat-faced fulling hammer. [1913 Webster]
flatter, v. t. [OE. flateren, cf. OD. flatteren; akin to G. flattern to flutter, Icel. fla to fawn, flatter: cf. F. flatter. Cf. Flitter, Flutter, Flattery.].
- To treat with praise or blandishments; to gratify or attempt to gratify the self-love or vanity of, esp. by artful and interested commendation or attentions; to blandish; to cajole; to wheedle. [1913 Webster]"When I tell him he hates flatterers,
He says he does, being then most flattered." [1913 Webster]"A man that flattereth his neighbor, spreadeth a net for his feet." [1913 Webster]"Others he flattered by asking their advice." [1913 Webster] - To raise hopes in; to encourage or favorable, but sometimes unfounded or deceitful, representations. [1913 Webster]
- To portray too favorably; to give a too favorable idea of; as, his portrait flatters him. [1913 Webster]
flatter, v. i.
To use flattery or insincere praise. [1913 Webster]
"If it may stand him more in stead to lie,
Say and unsay, feign, flatter, or adjure." [1913 Webster]
Say and unsay, feign, flatter, or adjure." [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
flatter, v.tr.
1 compliment unduly; overpraise, esp. for gain or advantage.
2 (usu. refl.; usu. foll. by that + clause) please, congratulate, or delude (oneself etc.) (I flatter myself that I can sing).
3 a (of a colour, a style, etc.) make (a person) appear to the best advantage (that blouse flatters you). b (esp. of a portrait, a painter, etc.) represent too favourably.
4 gratify the vanity of; make (a person) feel honoured.
5 inspire (a person) with hope, esp. unduly (was flattered into thinking himself invulnerable).
6 please or gratify (the ear, the eye, etc.).
1 compliment unduly; overpraise, esp. for gain or advantage.
2 (usu. refl.; usu. foll. by that + clause) please, congratulate, or delude (oneself etc.) (I flatter myself that I can sing).
3 a (of a colour, a style, etc.) make (a person) appear to the best advantage (that blouse flatters you). b (esp. of a portrait, a painter, etc.) represent too favourably.
4 gratify the vanity of; make (a person) feel honoured.
5 inspire (a person) with hope, esp. unduly (was flattered into thinking himself invulnerable).
6 please or gratify (the ear, the eye, etc.).
Idiom
flattering unction a salve that one administers to one's own conscience or self-esteem (Shakesp. esp. Hamlet III. iv. 136).
Derivative
flatterer n. flattering adj. flatteringly adv.
Etymology
ME, perh. rel. to OF flater to smooth
THESAURUS
flatter
adorn, adulate, apotheosize, beautify, become, beguile, belaud, bend the knee, bepraise, beslobber, beslubber, blandish, bless, blow up, boast of, bootlick, bow, bow and scrape, brag about, brown-nose, butter up, cajole, celebrate, coax, complement, compliment, conceit, court, cower, crawl, creep, cringe, crouch, cry up, decorate, deify, embellish, emblazon, enhance, eulogize, exalt, extol, fawn, fawn upon, finish, flannel, glorify, grovel, hero-worship, idolize, inveigle, kneel, kowtow, laud, lick the dust, lickspittle, lionize, magnify, make fair weather, make much of, oil, oil the tongue, ornament, overpraise, palaver, panegyrize, pay tribute, perfect, play up to, porter aux nues, praise, puff, puff up, salute, shine up to, slobber over, soft-soap, stoop, suck up to, suit, sweet-talk, toadeat, toady, toady to, truckle, truckle to, trumpet, wheedleROGET THESAURUS
flatter
Cunning
VB be cunning, have cut one's eyeteeth, contrive, live by one's wits, maneuver, intrigue, gerrymander, finesse, double, temporize, stoop to conquer, reculer pour mieux sauter, circumvent, steal a march upon, overreach, throw off one's guard, surprise, snatch a verdict, waylay, undermine, introduce the thin end of the wedge, play a deep game, play tricks with, ambiguas in vulgum spargere voces, flatter, make things pleasant, have an ax to grind, dodge, sidestep, bob and weave.Pleasurableness
VB cause pleasure, produce pleasure, create pleasure, give pleasure, afford pleasure, procure pleasure, offer pleasure, present pleasure, yield pleasure, please, charm, delight, becharm, imparadise, gladden, take, captivate, fascinate, enchant, entrance, enrapture, transport, bewitch, enravish, bless, beatify, satisfy, gratify, desire, slake, satiate, quench, indulge, humor, flatter, tickle, tickle the palate, regale, refresh, enliven, treat, amuse, take one's fancy, tickle one's fancy, hit one's fancy, meet one's wishes, win the heart, gladden the heart, rejoice the heart, warm the cockles of the heart, do one's heart good, attract, allure, stimulate, interest, make things pleasant, popularize, gild the pill, sugar-coat the pill, sweeten.Hope
VB hope, trust, confide, rely on, put one's trust in, lean upon, pin one's hope upon, pin one's faith upon, feel hope, entertain hope, harbor hope, indulge hope, cherish hope, feed hope, foster hope, nourish hope, encourage hope, cling to hope, live in hope see land, feel assured, rest assured, feel confident, rest confident, presume, promise oneself, expect, hope for, anticipate, be hopeful, look on the bright side of, view on the sunny side, voir en couleur de rose, make the best of it, hope for the best, put a good face upon, put a bold face upon, put the best face upon, keep one's spirits up, take heart, take heart of grace, be of good heart, be of good cheer, flatter oneself, lay the flattering unction to one's soul, catch at a straw hope against hope, reckon one's chickens before they are hatched, count one's chickens before they are hatched, give hope, inspire hope, raise hope, hold out hope, promise, bid fair, augur well, be in a fair way, look up, flatter, tell a flattering tale, raise expectations (sentient subject), encourage, cheer, assure, reassure, buoy up, embolden.Approbation
VB approve, approbate, think good, think much of, think well of, think highly of, esteem, value, prize, set great store by, set great store on, do justice to, appreciate, honor, hold in esteem, look up to, admire, like, be in favor of, wish Godspeed, hail, hail with satisfaction, stand up for, stick up for, uphold, hold up, countenance, sanction, clap on the back, pat on the back, keep in countenance, indorse, give credit, recommend, mark with a white mark, mark with a stone, commend, belaud, praise, laud, compliment, pay a tribute, bepraise, clap the hands, applaud, cheer, acclamate, encore, panegyrize, eulogize, cry up, proner, puff, extol, extol to the skies, magnify, glorify, exalt, swell, make much of, flatter, bless, give a blessing to, have a good word for, say a good word for, speak well of, speak highly of, speak in high terms of, sing the praises of, sound the praises of, chaunt the praises of, resound the praises of, sing praises to, cheer to the echo, applaud to the echo, applaud to the very echo, cheer to the very echo, redound to the honor, redound to the praise, redound to the credit of, do credit to, deserve praise, recommend itself, pass muster, be praised, receive honorable mention, be in favor with, be in high favor with, ring with the praises of, win golden opinions, gain credit, find favor with, stand well in the opinion of, laudari a laudato viro.Flattery
VB flatter, praise to the skies, puff, wheedle, cajole, glaver, coax, fawn upon, faun upon, humor, gloze, soothe, pet, coquet, slaver, butter, jolly, bespatter, beslubber, beplaster, beslaver, lay it on thick, overpraise, earwig, cog, collogue, truckle to, pander to, pandar to, suck up to, kiss the ass of, pay court to, court, creep into the good graces of, curry favor with, hang on the sleeve of, fool to the top of one's bent, lick the dust, lay the flattering unction to one's soul, gild the pill, make things pleasant, overestimate, exaggerate.Deception
VB deceive, take in, defraud, cheat, jockey, do, cozen, diddle, nab, chouse, play one false, bilk, cully, jilt, bite, pluck, swindle, victimize, abuse, mystify, blind one's eyes, blindfold, hoodwink, throw dust into the eyes, dupe, gull, hoax, fool, befool, bamboozle, flimflam, hornswoggle, trick, impose upon, practice upon, play upon, put upon, palm off on, palm upon, foist upon, snatch a verdict, bluff off, bluff, bunko, four flush, gum, spoof, stuff (a ballot box), circumvent, overreach, outreach, out wit, out maneuver, steal a march upon, give the go-by, to leave in the lurch decoy, waylay, lure, beguile, delude, inveigle, entrap, intrap, ensnare, nick, springe, set a trap, lay a trap, lay a snare for, bait the hook, forelay, spread the toils, lime, trapan, trepan, kidnap, let in, hook in, nousle, nousel, blind a trail, enmesh, immesh, shanghai, catch, catch in a trap, sniggle, entangle, illaqueate, hocus, escamoter, practice on one's credulity, hum, humbug, gammon, stuff up, sell, play a trick upon one, play a practical joke upon one, put something over on one, put one over on, balk, trip up, throw a tub to a whale, fool to the top of one's bent, send on a fool's errand, make game, make a fool of, make an April fool of, make an ass of, trifle with, cajole, flatter, come over, gild the pill, make things pleasant, divert, put a good face upon, dissemble, cog, cog the dice, load the dice, stack the deck, live by one's wits, play at hide and seek, obtain money under false pretenses, conjure, juggle, practice chicanery, deacon, play off, palm off, foist off, fob-off, lie, misinform, mislead, betray, be deceived.For further exploring for "flatter" in Webster Dictionary Online
