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

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

“This is unexpected. I’m flattered that you would propose a merger with Citigroup.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 21, 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

Regulators found that Blodget, then of Merrill Lynch, and Grubman, of Salomon Smith Barney, issued research that didn’t reflect their honest views but rather flattered companies’ leadership.

From Barron's • Jan. 30, 2026

“You were going through my things?” he asked, though in truth he was more flattered than anything else.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny