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• flattery
  flattery

  noun

  the act of flattering.
• Flattery
  Flattery

  noun

  Cape, a cape in NW Washington, on the Olympic Peninsula, at the entrance to Juan de Fuca Strait.

flattery

¹ American  

[flat-uh-ree] / ˈflæt ə ri /

noun

• flatteries
  plural

1. the act of flattering.

2. a flattering compliment or speech; excessive, insincere praise.

   Synonyms:

   pandering, sycophancy

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Flattery ² American  

[flat-ree] / ˈflæt ri /

noun

1. Cape, a cape in NW Washington, on the Olympic Peninsula, at the entrance to Juan de Fuca Strait.

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flattery British  

/ ˈflætərɪ /

noun

1. the act of flattering

2. excessive or insincere praise

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• flatteries
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of flattery

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English flaterie, from Middle French, equivalent to flat(er) “to flatter” + -erie noun suffix; see flatter ¹, -ery

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Explanation

Flattery is excessive praise. If you're hoping to borrow your brother's car, be careful not to overdo it when you compliment his haircut, new shoes, and singing voice — he knows flattery when he sees it. As opposed to real praise, flattery is insincere and almost always has an ulterior motive. The Old English root word of flatter is flater, which originally meant "to stroke with the hand or caress." When you stroke someone's ego to get what you want, you're using flattery. If the person you are wildly complimenting tells you that flattery will get you nowhere, you know it's time to back off.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

flattery Flattery flatteries

Like Trump's, Xi's remarks were heavy on flattery, focusing on cultural ties and shared history between the US and China.

From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026

When contact is established, scammers work to build trust through flattery, shared personal experiences, romantic interest, fake testimonials and, yes, promises of love or money, the bureau adds.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026

He seemed unwilling or unable to pass up the chance to listen to the endless, empty flattery coming from the stage, along with the cheers of thousands of rambunctious supporters.

From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026

Graham was, rhetorically, almost pathetically in Trump’s thrall, heaping flattery onto a president who’d once posted Graham’s phone number online for mass harassment.

From Slate ● Jul. 14, 2026

“Careful,” she says with the faintest of grins, “false flattery might make me lose my grip, and then where would you be?”

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman

I traveled 500 miles from Seattle to Lake Crescent in Olympic National Park, Cape Flattery and more for an upcoming column.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

Ms Flattery said: "I'm not usually one to believe in fate but I was sure we were going to lose him, there was someone looking over us that day."

From BBC ● Dec. 23, 2023

Flattery from a president, though I wouldn’t know, is likely addictive.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 27, 2021

But an even greater personal favorite, to this writer, is the nearby short trek along the rugged, rocky northern coastline to Cape Flattery.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 27, 2021

“Milholland’s gone. He got transferred out to Cape Flattery, Milholland and Robert Miller. That’s when we moved up.”

From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson

But I learned as little about Herman from these flatteries as I did from Einhorn’s gushing cliches.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 11, 2021

His steadfast refusal to renounce either his faith or his party, in spite of flatteries, threats, promises and persuasions, had raised him to the proud position of a Protestant martyr.

From Rupert Prince Palatine by Eva Scott

This was such a proportion of sense and shrewdness as sudden wealth and its destructive flatteries had no power to assail.

From Nevermore by Rolf Bolderwood

And this servant is called by the natives Parabystus, because he works his way into the company of those men even who do not willingly receive him, by the very skilful character of his flatteries.

From The Deipnosophists, or Banquet of the Learned of Athen?us by Athen?us

Such demonstrations of homage were most frequently got up by the crafty chamberlain, who sagaciously reckoned that, if these flatteries did not always obtain the king's applause, they seldom called forth his displeasure.

From The Childhood of King Erik Menved An Historical Romance by Bernhard Severin Ingemann

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