flattered

American  

[flat-erd] / ˈflæt ərd /

adjective

1. feeling gratified or honored by unexpected favorable attention, as an invitation or compliment.

   Thank you so much for linking to my recipe; I'm beyond flattered!

2. praised or complimented in an insincere way, usually as a form of manipulation.

   Having received the supreme compliment from his guru, the flattered and now penniless devotee offered to work for him for nothing.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of flatter.

Other Word Forms

• half-flattered
  adjective
• unflattered
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of flattered

flatter ¹ ( def. ) + -ed ²

Example Sentences

“How did you hear about us?” one of the baristas, simultaneously confused and flattered, asked me while I studied the 3-D wooden puzzle of Vietnam hanging on a concrete wall.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

And while Godoy is flattered that people assume he’s just as easygoing and self-assured as Luffy, he’s still working on getting closer to him.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026

The results look mixed, with earnings flattered by taxes and its corporate center, and guidance for the year ahead is modest, the analysts say.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026

Addressing those rumours on Sunday's BBC Politics Wales, he said he was "flattered" but had not had any discussions about it with anyone in the party.

From BBC • Feb. 1, 2026

For this reason it flattered Mr. Kapasi that Mrs. Das was so intrigued by his job.

From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri