flattery en · NOUN
Pronunciation
Etymology
From Middle English flaterye, flaterie, from Old French flaterie, from the verb flater (“to flatter”). By surface analysis, flatter + -y (forming abstract nouns).
Meanings
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(uncountable) Excessive praise or approval, which is often insincere and sometimes contrived to win favour.
That the young Mr. Churchills liked—but they did not like him coming round of an evening and drinking weak whisky-and-water while he held forth on railway debentures and corporation loans. Mr. Barrett, however, by fawning and flattery, seemed to be able to make not only Mrs. Churchill but everyone else do what he desired.
1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter II, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:[US president Donald] Trump has developed a warm relationship with [NATO Secretary-General Mark] Rutte, who courted the president at last June’s NATO summit with effusive flattery and commitments to boosting European members’ “fair share” of alliance spending.
2026 April 5, Howard LaFranchi, “Trump’s war in Iran puts new strain on alliances. Why this time it’s different.”, in The Christian Science Monitor, Boston, Massachusetts: Christian Science Publishing Society, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 15 Apr 2026:“All of a sudden, one day, everyone was taking 0.5 selfies,” she said. Wherever Gen Z gathers these days, a 0.5 selfie is almost bound to be taken, capturing the moment with random flattery — or comical lack thereof. The 0.5 selfies are showing up on Instagram, proliferating in group chats, becoming the talk of parties and often being snapped to chronicle the minutiae of daily life.
2022 July 3, Kalley Huang, “The Rise of the 0.5 Selfie”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 04 Jul 2025:Don't you know that some of his contributions here are pure flattery?
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(countable) An instance of excessive praise.
But I pitty the flatteries, and ſelfe-applauſes of a careleſſe and impenitent heart: This jollity hath in it much danger, and vvithout ſome change, death.
1651, Jos[eph] Hall, “Soliloq[uy] XI. False Joy.”, in Susurrium cum Deo. Soliloquies: Or, Holy Self-conferences of the Devout Soul, […], 2nd edition, London: […] Will[iam] Hunt, and are to be sold by George Lathum junior, […], →OCLC, page 37:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| flatteries | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
self-flattery · Cape Flattery · imitation is the sincerest form of flattery
Hypernyms
Relateds
flattering · flattered · flatter
Synonyms
ass-licking · gloze · sooth · sycophancy · hoomalimali · flattery · ass-kissing · blandishment · soft sawder · incense · carny · adulation
Translations (97)
el κολακεία (instant of excessive praise) · it chitarrata (excessive praise) · mk ласкање (excessive praise) · de Schmus (excessive praise) · es piropo (instant of excessive praise) · hu hízelgés (excessive praise) · tpi gris (instant of excessive praise) · da smiger (excessive praise) · vo flät (excessive praise) · tpi gris (excessive praise) · es halago (instant of excessive praise) · eo flato (excessive praise) · sga spled (excessive praise) · ca adulació (excessive praise) · de Schöntuerei (excessive praise) · tl pambobola (excessive praise) · tr yağcılık (excessive praise) · la blanditia (excessive praise) · te ముఖస్తుతి (excessive praise) · be лёсткі (excessive praise) · es lisonja (instant of excessive praise) · gd gabhann (excessive praise) · ja お世辞 (excessive praise) · it salamelecchi (excessive praise) · es peloteo (excessive praise) · it piaggeria (excessive praise) · hi चापलूसी (excessive praise) · es halago (excessive praise) · it lusinga (instant of excessive praise) · gl afago (instant of excessive praise) · nb smiger (excessive praise) · uk ле́стка (excessive praise) · grc κολακεία (excessive praise) · pt lisonja (excessive praise) · gl adulación (excessive praise) · ga bladar (excessive praise) · sq lajkë (instant of excessive praise) · es asentación (excessive praise) · sh ласкање (excessive praise) · ga spleáchas (excessive praise) · fi imartelu (excessive praise) · cmn 奉承 (excessive praise) · sk lichôtka (instant of excessive praise) · fi mielistely (instant of excessive praise) · de Schmeichelei (excessive praise) · it incensamento (excessive praise) · la adulatio (excessive praise) · de Geschmeichel (instant of excessive praise) · cmn 马屁 (excessive praise) · fr flatterie (excessive praise) · fi mielistely (excessive praise) · es requiebro (instant of excessive praise) · uk ле́стощі (excessive praise) · tr sırnaşma (excessive praise) · ja おべっか (excessive praise) · es camelo (instant of excessive praise) · fi imartelu (instant of excessive praise) · nn smiger (excessive praise) · rgn adulaziôn (instant of excessive praise) · it adulazione (excessive praise) · it sviolinata (excessive praise) · es flor (instant of excessive praise) · te ముఖప్రీతి (excessive praise) · kk қошемет (excessive praise) · be лёстачкі (excessive praise) · ru подхали́мство (excessive praise) · pl pochlebstwo (instant of excessive praise) · es zalamería (instant of excessive praise) · el κολακεία (excessive praise) · bg ласкателство (excessive praise) · sq lajka (excessive praise) · lt meilikavimas (excessive praise) · sh laskanje (excessive praise) · ko 아첨 (excessive praise) · pl pochlebstwo (excessive praise) · nl vleierij (excessive praise) · ga plámás (excessive praise) · be ліслі́васць (excessive praise) · ru лесть (excessive praise) · es asentación (instant of excessive praise) · es falago (excessive praise) · es falago (instant of excessive praise) · ga spleá (excessive praise) · cmn 吹捧 (excessive praise) · rgn adulaziôn (excessive praise) · cs pochlebování (excessive praise) · pt bajulação (excessive praise) · es adulación (excessive praise) · hu hízelkedés (excessive praise) · cs lichotka (instant of excessive praise) · sk lichotenie (excessive praise) · cs lichocení (excessive praise) · sv smicker (excessive praise) · sga spledachus (excessive praise) · ja 諂媚 (excessive praise) · es carantoña (instant of excessive praise) · cmn 逢迎 (excessive praise)