Flattering — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb /ˈfla-tər-iŋ/ flat·ter·ing

Meaning & Definition of Flattering

Flattering (adjective)

  1. marked by flattery
  2. showing or expressing gratifying respect or admiration
  3. excessively or insincerely complimentary

Flattering (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in laudatory, hagiographic

    similar: encomiastic, eulogistic, hagiographic, laudative, laudatory, panegyrical, praiseful, admiring, applauding, appreciative, approbatory, approving, commendatory, complimentary, favorable, friendly, good, positive, accepting, warm, respectful, supportive, sympathetic, adoring, adulatory, idolizing, worshipful, worshipping, advisory, recommendatory
    opposite: captious, carping, caviling, censuring, critical, faultfinding, hypercritical, overcritical, belittling, contemptuous, disdainful, disparaging, scornful, slighting, adverse, depreciative, depreciatory, derogatory, disapproving, inappreciative, negative, unappreciative, uncomplimentary, unfavorable, unflattering, unfriendly

  2. as in excessive, fulsome

    similar: excessive, fulsome, affected, bloated, fancy-pants, grandiose, inflated, pompous, pretentious, stilted, boastful, bombastic, aureate, florid, flowery, grandiloquent, highfalutin, high-flown, high-sounding, magnific, ornate, purple, rhetorical, elevated, eloquent, lofty, bookish, inkhorn, learned
    opposite: prosaic, unpoetic, bald, direct, lean, matter-of-fact, plain, plainspoken, simple, spare, stark, straightforward, unadorned, natural, unaffected, unpretentious

Flattering (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to praise too much

    "the billionaire has an army of assistants who are eager to flatter him at every opportunity"

    similar: adulating, belauding, blarneying, buttering up, hero-worshipping, honeying, massaging, overpraising, puffing, soft-soaping, stroking
    related: blandishing, cajoling, coaxing, sweet-talking, wheedling, fawning, kowtowing, sucking (up to), toadying, idolizing, worshipping, eulogizing, extolling, lauding, praising, applauding, commending, complimenting, congratulating, felicitating, drooling, gushing, slavering, slobbering, endearing, ingratiating, courting, romancing, wooing
    near: bad-mouthing, belittling, decrying, depreciating, disparaging, putting down

  2. to think highly of (oneself)

    "don't flatter yourself that no one has ever thought of that idea before"

    similar: piquing, pluming, priding
    related: boasting, bragging, crowing, gasconading, swaggering, swanking, swashing, vaporing, vaunting, congratulating, felicitating

Related Entry: Flatter (verb)

Flatter is a different word from Flattering. The synonyms below are for flatter, not for flattering.

  1. to praise too much

    "the billionaire has an army of assistants who are eager to flatter him at every opportunity"

    similar: adulate, belaud, blarney, butter up, hero-worship, honey, massage, overpraise, puff, soft-soap, stroke
    related: blandish, cajole, coax, sweet-talk, wheedle, fawn, kowtow, suck (up to), toady, idolize, worship, eulogize, extol, laud, praise, applaud, commend, compliment, congratulate, felicitate, drool, gush, slaver, slobber, endear, ingratiate, court, romance, woo
    near: bad-mouth, belittle, decry, depreciate, disparage, put down

  2. to think highly of (oneself)

    "don't flatter yourself that no one has ever thought of that idea before"

    similar: pique, plume, pride
    related: boast, brag, crow, gasconade, swagger, swank, swash, vapor, vaunt, congratulate, felicitate

Related Entry: Self-flattering (adjective)

Self-flattering is a different word from Flattering. The synonyms below are for self-flattering, not for flattering.

  1. as in self-promoting, self-loving

    similar: self-loving, self-promoting, complacent, conceited, egocentric, egoistic, egotistic, hubristic, narcissistic, orgulous, prideful, proud, self-affected, self-applauding, self-centered, self-complacent, self-conceited, self-pleased, self-satisfied, smug, stuck-up, brash, forward, uninhibited, unreserved, blusterous, blustery, boastful, bombastic, braggart, bragging, braggy, cocky, swaggering, vain, vainglorious, extroverted, immodest, snobbish, snobby, snooty, impertinent, impudent, saucy, condescending, disdainful, patronizing, authoritarian, bossy, dominant, dominating, domineering, magisterial, pontifical, pontificating, arrogant, assumptive, bumptious, cavalier, chesty, haughty, high-and-mighty, highfalutin, high-handed, high-hat, huffish, huffy, imperious, important, lofty, lordly, masterful, overweening, peremptory, pompous, presuming, presumptuous, pretentious, self-asserting, self-assertive, sniffy, stiff-necked, supercilious, superior, toplofty, uppish, uppity
    opposite: humble, lowly, modest, unarrogant, unpretentious, bashful, cowering, cringing, demure, diffident, introverted, mousy, overmodest, self-critical, self-doubting, sheepish, shrinking, shy, subdued, timid, acquiescent, compliant, deferential, meek, passive, submissive, unaggressive, unassertive, unassuming, unobtrusive, yielding, quiet, reserved, retiring

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Flattering

The most common words with a similar meaning to Flattering:

encomiastic, eulogistic, hagiographic, laudative, laudatory, panegyrical, praiseful, admiring, applauding, appreciative, approbatory, approving, commendatory, complimentary, favorable, friendly, good, positive, accepting, warm, respectful, supportive, sympathetic, adoring, adulatory, idolizing, worshipful, worshipping, advisory, recommendatory, excessive, fulsome, affected, bloated, fancy-pants, grandiose, inflated, pompous, pretentious, stilted

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Flattering

Words with the opposite meaning of Flattering:

captious, carping, caviling, censuring, critical, faultfinding, hypercritical, overcritical, belittling, contemptuous, disdainful, disparaging, scornful, slighting, adverse, depreciative, depreciatory, derogatory, disapproving, inappreciative, negative, unappreciative, uncomplimentary, unfavorable, unflattering, unfriendly, prosaic, unpoetic, bald, direct

Related Words for Flattering

blandishing, cajoling, coaxing, sweet-talking, wheedling, fawning, kowtowing, sucking (up to), toadying, eulogizing, extolling, lauding, praising, commending, complimenting, congratulating, felicitating, drooling, gushing, slavering, slobbering, endearing, ingratiating, courting, romancing, wooing, boasting, bragging, crowing, gasconading

Near Antonyms of Flattering

bad-mouthing, decrying, depreciating, putting down

Word Forms of Flattering

Derived words: flatteringly (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Flattering

First known use: 15th century

Words & Phrases Containing Flattering

self-flattering

Frequently Asked Questions about Flattering

What does "Flattering" mean?

"Flattering" means marked by flattery. As an an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: marked by flattery. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Flattering"?

Other words for "Flattering" include encomiastic, eulogistic, hagiographic, laudative, laudatory, panegyrical, praiseful and admiring. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Flattering" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Flattering"?

There are 108 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Flattering". Common alternatives include encomiastic, eulogistic, hagiographic, laudative, laudatory, panegyrical, praiseful, admiring, applauding and appreciative.

What is the opposite of "Flattering"?

Antonyms of "Flattering" include captious, carping, caviling, censuring, critical, faultfinding, hypercritical and overcritical. Near antonyms include bad-mouthing, decrying, depreciating and putting down.

How do you use "Flattering" in a sentence?

Examples of "Flattering" in a sentence: "the billionaire has an army of assistants who are eager to flatter him at every opportunity"; "don't flatter yourself that no one has ever thought of that idea before".

Is "Flattering" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Flattering" can be used as an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Flattering"?

"Flattering" is pronounced /ˈfla-tər-iŋ/ and divided into syllables as flat·ter·ing.

What is the origin of the word "Flattering"?

First known use: 15th century.