flatter
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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flatters,
present (3rd person singular)
-
flattered,
past participle, past
-
flattering
present participle
-
to try to please by complimentary remarks or attention.
-
to praise or compliment insincerely, effusively, or excessively.
She flatters him by constantly praising his books.
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to represent favorably; gratify by falsification.
The portrait flatters her.
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to show to advantage.
a hairstyle that flatters the face.
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to play upon the vanity or susceptibilities of; cajole, wheedle, or beguile.
They flattered him into contributing heavily to the foundation.
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to please or gratify by compliments or attentions.
I was flattered by their invitation.
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to feel satisfaction with (oneself), especially with reference to an accomplishment, act, or occasion.
He flattered himself that the dinner had gone well.
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to beguile with hope; encourage prematurely, falsely, etc.
verb (used without object)
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flatters,
present (3rd person singular)
-
flattered,
past participle, past
-
flattering
present participle
noun
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a person or thing that makes something flat.
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a flat-faced blacksmith's tool, laid on a forging and struck with a hammer to smooth the surface of the forging.
-
a drawplate with a flat orifice for drawing flat metal strips, as for watch springs.
verb
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to praise insincerely, esp in order to win favour or reward
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to show to advantage
that dress flatters her
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(tr) to make to appear more attractive, etc, than in reality
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to play upon or gratify the vanity of (a person)
it flatters her to be remembered
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(tr) to beguile with hope; encourage, esp falsely
this success flattered him into believing himself a champion
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(tr) to congratulate or deceive (oneself)
I flatter myself that I am the best
noun
-
a blacksmith's tool, resembling a flat-faced hammer, that is placed on forged work and struck to smooth the surface of the forging
-
a die with a narrow rectangular orifice for drawing flat sections
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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flattersimple
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flatterssimple
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have flatteredperfect
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has flatteredperfect
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am flatteringprogressive
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are flatteringprogressive
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is flatteringprogressive
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have been flatteringperfect progressive
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has been flatteringperfect progressive
Past
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flatteredsimple
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had flatteredperfect
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was flatteringprogressive
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were flatteringprogressive
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had been flatteringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of flatter1
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English flat(t)eren “to float, flutter, fawn upon,” Old English floterian “to float, flutter”; for sense development, cf. flicker 1, Old Norse flathra; reinforced by Old French flatter “to flatter,” literally, “to stroke, caress” (probably from unattested Frankish flat- flat 1 )
Origin of flatter2
Explanation
When you flatter someone, you praise and compliment him or her — but you aren't totally sincere. You flatter your friend by telling her she's the best driver in the world. Because you want her to offer you a ride. The Old French flater originally meant "to stroke or caress," which is what you do to people's egos when you flatter them. When you flatter, you probably want something — it could be as simple as wanting someone to like you. That's why people who meet celebrities tell them they're the greatest. More positively, if your hairstyle flatters your face, it emphasizes your best features.
Vocabulary lists containing flatter
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
By the end, her stomach appears flatter - if a little red.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
He’s setting up a flatter leadership team with everyone reporting directly to him; no one is taking his place as COO and president, U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
Yet even moving to a flatter yield-curve environment can have negative consequences.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
Whatever the assignment was supposed to accomplish, it did not appease the man it was designed to flatter.
From Salon ● Sep. 21, 2026
“Don’t try to flatter me,” Eiddileg cried, trying to look furious, yet beaming at the same time.
From "The Book of Three" by Lloyd Alexander
But strip out the popular Mini Kelly handbag, which flatters the average premium, and larger versions of the Kelly and Birkin sell at par to retail prices once the auctioneers’ commission is factored in.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 26, 2026
Crypto markets have billions in wash trading — fake volume that flatters momentum and dupes newcomers.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 8, 2025
That flatters him a little, although more of his wickets were top-order dismissals than lower-order by the series' end - a reversal of his return at the start.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2025
Popular entertainment not only diverts viewers; it habitually flatters them.
From Salon ● Feb. 19, 2024
Max flatters me but not in a sleazy way.
From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García
Ahmed bowled better than figures of 1-46 suggested in the first ODI, but was flattered by a return of 2-48 from eight overs in the second.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
Hannover Re said currency effects weighed on its results due to the strengthening of the U.S. dollar, while last year’s depreciation of the greenback flattered its earnings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
“I was surprised — and flattered — to find myself on the guest list.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
Again, I was surprised — and flattered — to find myself on the guest list, and naturally I wanted to know what the occasion was.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
I was flattered by the idea, but the recent events with the FBI and my father’s warnings had me a little skittish about the idea of walking through Maplewood with crowds of people around me.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
On the other, law enforcement can also request AI conversations, courts can subpoena AI chat logs and chatbots can provide inaccurate information while also flattering people, he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
“I do like SI, because ‘artificial’ is not a very flattering thing.
From Salon ● Oct. 8, 2026
Elsewhere, Everton's tale of the tape is not so flattering.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
In the absence of information, you’ll likely choose the most flattering answer.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 19, 2026
From where I stood, it looked like a world of flattering attention, and what’s more, a chance to cross the county line.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
