the act of flattering excessive or insincere praise
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
flat•ter•y /ˈflætəri/USA pronunciation
n. [uncountable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- the act of flattering.
- excessive or insincere praise.
flat•ter•y
(flat′ə rē),USA pronunciation n., pl. -ter•ies.
- the act of flattering.
- a flattering compliment or speech;
excessive, insincere praise.
- Middle French, equivalent. to flat(er) to flatter + -erie -ery. Cf. flatter1
- Middle English flaterie 1275–1325
- 2.See corresponding entry in Unabridged sycophancy, toadying, fawning, pandering.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
'flattery' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Blarney stone
- adulate
- adulation
- amadou
- amuse
- bamboozle
- beguile
- birdlime
- blandish
- blandishment
- blandishments
- buy
- cajole
- cajolery
- chicanery
- coax
- courtier
- crud
- curry
- despise
- dish
- echo
- flannel
- flatter
- flummery
- get
- gloze
- honey
- insinuation
- insusceptible
- inveigle
- jollier
- kittle
- lay
- manage
- massage
- oil
- palaver
- pickthank
- play up
- puff
- purchase
- sedulous
- self-flattery
- sell
- smooth-talk
- snow job
- soap
- soft soap
- susceptible