flatter
flatter Lexical Profile
flatter Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To lavish insincere or excessive praise and compliments upon someone, especially in order to win favor or further one's own interests.
"He tried to flatter the committee members with glowing remarks about their previous publications."
To cause someone to feel honored, pleased, or gratified by showing them attention, respect, or preference.
"She was deeply flattered by the university's invitation to deliver the keynote address."
To make someone or something appear more attractive, advantageous, or favorable than they might otherwise seem (often of clothing, lighting, or a portrait).
"The soft evening light and tailored cut of the jacket really flatter his posture."
• adjective
More level, even, or smooth in surface, or having less curvature or elevation than something else (comparative form of 'flat').
"The terrain grows progressively flatter as you travel eastward toward the coastal plains."
Word Nuance & Usage
The idiom 'flatter oneself' means to hold a pleasing, often overly optimistic or mistaken belief about one's own abilities or importance.
• Rhymes for flatter
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Old French 'flater', meaning 'to caress, stroke, or deceive with smooth words', likely of Germanic origin related to the root of 'flat' (originally 'to smooth down with the palm of the hand').