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flatter

   Also found in: Medical, Financial, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.02 sec.
flat·ter 1  (fltr)
v. flat·tered, flat·ter·ing, flat·ters
v.tr.
1. To compliment excessively and often insincerely, especially in order to win favor.
2. To please or gratify the vanity of: "What really flatters a man is that you think him worth flattering" (George Bernard Shaw).
3.
a. To portray favorably: a photograph that flatters its subject.
b. To show off becomingly or advantageously.
v.intr.
To practice flattery.

[Middle English flateren, from Old French flater, of Germanic origin; see plat- in Indo-European roots.]

flatter·er n.
flatter·ing·ly adv.

flat·ter 2  (fltr)
n.
1. A flat-faced swage or hammer used by blacksmiths.
2. A die plate for flattening metal into strips, as in the manufacture of watch springs.

flatter
Verb
1. to praise insincerely, esp. in order to win favour
2. to show to advantage: she wore a simple green cotton dress which she knew flattered her
3. to make (a person) appear more attractive than in reality: a portrait that flattered him
4. to cater to the vanity of (a person): I was flattered by her praise
5. flatter oneself to believe, perhaps mistakenly, something good about oneself [Old French flater to lick, fawn upon]
flatterer n
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Verb1.flatter - praise somewhat dishonestly
soft-soap - use flattering talk on somebody
praise - express approval of; "The parents praised their children for their academic performance"
adulate - flatter in an obsequious manner
stroke - treat gingerly or carefully; "You have to stroke the boss"
bootlick, kotow, toady, truckle, kowtow, fawn, suck up - try to gain favor by cringing or flattering; "He is always kowtowing to his boss"
brown-nose, butter up - flatter with the intention of getting something
disparage, belittle, pick at - express a negative opinion of; "She disparaged her student's efforts"

flatter
verb 1. praise, compliment, pander to, sweet-talk (informal) court, humour, puff, flannel Brit. (informal) fawn, cajole, lay it on (thick) (slang) wheedle, inveigle, soft-soap (informal) butter up, blandish
verb 2. suit, become, enhance, set off, embellish, do something for, show to advantage
Translations
flatter [ˈflætəʳ] vtadular, halagar (= show to advantage); favorecer

flatter [ˈflætəʳ] vtflatter

flatter [ˈflætəʳ] vtschmeicheln +dat

flatter [ˈflætəʳ] vtlusingare (= show to advantage); donare a

flatter
v flatter [ˈflӕtə]
1 to praise too much or insincerely Flatter him by complimenting him on his singing. vlei يَتَمَلَّق правя комплимент lichotit smigre schmeicheln κολακεύω halagar, adular (kellegi) eneseuhkust kõditama چاپلوسی کردن imarrella flatter לְהַחנִיף चापलूसी करना laskati hízeleg (vkinek) menyanjung skjalla, lofa um of adulare, lusingare おべっかを使う 아첨하다, 비위 맞추다 saldliežuvauti, meilikauti glaimot menyanjung vleien smigre, smiske schlebiać adular a flata, a măguli льстить lichotiť laskati laskati smickra ยกยอ pohpohlamak, yağ çekmek 奉承 лестити بے جا تعریف کرنا tâng bốc nịnh hót
2 to show, describe etc someone or something as being better than someone etc really is The photograph flatters him. vlei يُطْري لِ превъзнасям lichotit forskønne schmeicheln κολακεύω favorecer tegelikust ilusamana näitama بهتر نشان دادن esittää edullisessa valossa flatter לְהַחמִיא खुश होना ugadati taštini, laskati hízeleg (vmi vkinek) membuat senang fegra abbellire 実物以上に見せる 실물보다 나아 보이게 하다 (pa)gražinti Fotogrāfijā viņš izskatās skaistāks nekā dzīvē. membuat seseorang kelihatan lebih flatteren forskjønne schlebiać favorecer a avantaja приукрашивать lichotiť laskati ulepšavati vara smickrande för ทำให้ดูสวยหรือดีขึ้นกว่าที่เป็นจริง olduğundan iyi göstermek 勝過(真人/實物)的描述 прикрашати بے جا کسی چیز کو بہتر ظاہر کرنا tôn lên
3 to be pleased to say about (oneself) (that one can do something) I flatter myself that I can speak French perfectly. vlei يَتَباهى، يَتَبَجَّح лаская (се) lichotit si bilde sig ind sich einbilden υπερηφανεύομαι preciarse de uhkusega nentima خرسند شدن onnitella se flatter (de) לְהַשלוֹת אֶת עַצמוֹ रशन होना umišljati, uobražavati sebi büszke vmire bangga þykjast geta vantarsi, compiacersi うぬぼれる (재귀 용법으로) ...라고 생각하며 우쭐해하다 džiaugtis, jausti pasitenkinimą būt apmierinātam ar sevi bangga zich vleien innbille seg at pochlebiać sobie, z dumą stwierdzać ter peneiras de a (se) felicita (pentru) тешить себя lichotiť si laskati si laskati sebi våga påstå att man är (kan) ... ยกยอปอปั้น kıvanç duymak 自以為 тішитися; насмілюватися думати, що خوش فہمی میں مبتلا ہونا یا کرنا làm cho ai hãnh diện
n flatterer
vleier مُتَمَلِّق، مُتَزَلِّف ласкател lichotník smigrer der/die Schmeichler(in) κόλακας adulador meelitaja چاپلوس imartelija flatteur/-euse חַנפָן चापलूस laskavac hízelgő penyanjung skjallari, smjaðrari adulatore, adulatrice へつらう人 아첨꾼 saldliežuvis, meilikautojas glaimotājs; lišķis penyanjung vleier smigrer pochlebca adulador linguşitor льстец lichotník, -čka laskač laskavac smickrare คนช่างประจบสอพลอ dalkavuk, yağcı, pohpohçu 拍馬屁的人,奉承者 підлесник, лестун خوشامد خورہ người nịnh bợ 奉承
n flattery
insincere praise. vleiery تَمَلُّق، تَزَلُّف ласкателство lichotka smiger die Schmeichelei κολακεία adulación meelitus چاپلوسی imartelu flatterie חֲנוּפָּה चापलूसी laskanje, ulagivanje hízelgés sanjungan smjaður adulazione, lusinga お世辞 아첨 gyrimas, meilikavimas glaimi sanjungan vleierij smiger, smisking pochlebstwo adulação linguşire лесть lichôtka prilizovanje laskanje smicker การประจบสอพลอ dalkavukluk, yağcılık, pohpoh 恭維話, 捧場話 лестощі; підлесливість خوشامد sự tâng bốc, nịnh hót , 捧


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If you are a civilian, the windows of this house flatter you worse than a newspaper, but if you're a soldier, they do you a grave injustice.
It was creditable to have a sister married, and she might flatter herself with having been greatly instrumental to the connexion, by keeping Anne with her in the autumn; and as her own sister must be better than her husband's sisters, it was very agreeable that Captain Wentworth should be a richer man than either Captain Benwick or Charles Hayter.
My Father's house is situated in Bedfordshire, my Aunt's in Middlesex, and tho' I flatter myself with being a tolerable proficient in Geography, I know not how it happened, but I found myself entering this beautifull Vale which I find is in South Wales, when I had expected to have reached my Aunts.
 
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