flatter
verb (used with object)
to try to please by complimentary remarks or attention.
were flattering
-
past progressiveof flatter.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
Online commentary and state media made similar points, saying that U.S. politicians were flattering themselves if they thought their presence was important.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 7, 2021
You kind of were flattering yourself about how hip you were because you’re like, I’m 12 years old and it’s like, ‘Oh, no, I get it.’
From Washington Times ● May 29, 2020
But, as the war ended and the eighteen-sixties progressed, there were deep differences between them, which, by our standards, were flattering to neither.
From The New Yorker ● Oct. 8, 2018
Soon there were flattering articles in national newspapers – as well as substantial amounts raised for charity – while his book, Marathon Man, was published in April.
From The Guardian ● Oct. 2, 2016
People were flattering and courting you; they made you a perfect queen; they turned your head.
From An Ambitious Woman A Novel by Edgar Fawcett
