flatter
Syllables: flat·terUK/ˈflætə//ˈflætɚ/
flatter is the comparative form of flat.
Verb
flatter (third-person singular simple present flatters, present participle flattering, simple past and past participle flattered)
- To compliment someone, often (but not necessarily) insincerely and sometimes to win favour.
- A man that flattereth his neighbour spreadeth a net for his feet.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Proverbs 29:5
- Some he complimented for their bravery; others he flattered by asking their advice.1855, William H. Prescott, History of the Reign of Philip the Second, King of Spain, Boston: Phillips, Sampson & Co., Volume 1, Book 1, Chapter 7, p. 242
- Synonyms:
- butter up, lay it on thick, puff
- To enhance or gratify someone's vanity by praising them.
- Synonyms:
- stroke someone's ego
- To portray someone to advantage.
- Her portrait flatters her.
- Here is her picture: let me see; I think,
If I had such a tire, this face of mine
Were full as lovely as is this of hers:
And yet the painter flatter’d her a little […]c. 1590–1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and...
- To encourage or cheer someone with (usually false) hope.
- […] I went up, and sat there two Hours and an half before I cou’d discern any Thing like Land; and when I first saw it I told my Comrade, but not being certain I wou’d not call out; for the Case was of such Importance, that they were not to be trifled with, or flatter’d into vain Hopes.1743, Robert Drury, The Pleasant, and Surprizing Adventures of Mr. Robert Drury, during his Fifteen Years Captivity on the Island of Madagascar, London, page 9
- To cheer or please (with the idea that); congratulate oneself, especially when the perception is false.
- Before the results came out, I flattered myself that I had done well on the test. It turned out I was the worst in the class!
- The dire imagination she did follow
This sound of hope doth labour to expel;
For now reviving joy bids her rejoice,
And flatters her it is Adonis’ voice.1593, [William Shakespeare], Venus and Adonis, London: […] Richard Field, […], →OCLC
- In phrasal verb "to flatter with": to encourage, inspire with hope.
- Run after that ſame peeuiſh Meſſenger / The Countes man: he left this Ring behinde him / Would I, or not: tell him, Ile none of it. / Deſire him not to flatter with his Lord, / Nor hold him vp with hopes, I am not for him:c. 1601–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Twelfe Night, or What You Will”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and...
Noun (1)
flatter (plural flatters)
Meaning of flat
Adjective
flat (comparative flatter, superlative flattest)
- Having no variations in height.
- The land around here is flat.
- In a horizontal line or plane; not sloping.
- a flat roof
- Smooth; having no protrusions, indentations or other surface irregularities, or relatively so.
- The surface of the mirror must be completely flat.
- Having small or invisible breasts and/or buttocks.
- Near-synonym: flat-chested
- Without variation in level, quantity, value, tone etc.
- The exchange rate has been flat for several weeks.
- At a consistently depressed level; consistently lacklustre.
- Sales have been flat all year, and we've barely broken even.
Noun (2)
flatter (plural flatters)
- Someone who lives in a rented flat.
Synonyms of flatter
- butter up
- lay it on thick
- puff
- stroke someone's ego
- collogue
- gloze
- palaver
- preen
- soothe
- speak well of
7 more synonymsFewer synonyms
Antonyms
Forms of flatter
| Verb | |
|---|---|
| third-person singular present | flatters |
| present participle | flattering |
| past participle | flattered |
| past | flattered |
| Noun | |
| plural | flatters |
Origin of flatter
From flat + -er (comparative suffix). Compare Icelandic flatari (“flatter, more flat”).
*From Middle English flatteren, flateren (“to flutter, float, fawn over”), probably a conflation of Old English floterian, flotorian (“to flutter, float, be disquieted”), from Proto-West Germanic *flotrōn, from Proto-Germanic *flutrōną (“to be floating”), from Proto-Indo-European *plewd- (“to flow, swim”), equivalent to float + -er; and Old Norse flaðra (“to fawn on someone, flatter”), from Proto-Germanic *flaþrōną (“to fawn over, flutter”), from Proto-Indo-European *peled- (“moisture, wetness”), *pel- (“to gush, pour out, fill, flow, swim, fly”). Cognate with Scots flatter, flotter (“to float; splash; cover with liquid”), Middle Dutch flatteren (“to embellish, flatter, caress”), German flattern (“to flutter”). *The word was also falsely associated with Middle French flatter (“to flatter, to caress with the flat of the hand”), from Old French flater (“to deceive by concealing the truth, to stroke with the palm of the hand”), from Frankish *flat (“palm, flat of the hand”), from Proto-Germanic *flatą, *flatō (“palm, sole”), from *flataz (“flat”), probably from Proto-Indo-European *pleth₂-, *pleh₂- (“flat, broad, plain”); related to Old High German flazza (“palm, flat of the hand”)...
From flat (“to make flat, flatten”) + -er (agent suffix).
Words formed from flatter
Words that rhyme with flatter
Questions about flatter
- What does flatter mean?
- Flatter means to compliment someone, often (but not necessarily) insincerely and sometimes to win favour.
- What is flatter the comparative form of?
- Flatter is the comparative form of flat.
- What part of speech is flatter?
- Flatter can be a verb or a noun.
- How do you pronounce flatter?
- Flatter is pronounced /ˈflætɚ/ (US).
- What is the past tense of flatter?
- The past tense of flatter is flattered.
Words near flatter in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: flatter (page history and authors); flat (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
Last updated:
Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: en-us-flatter.ogg.
Cite this entry: “flatter.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/flatter. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.