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flattery

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flattery¹

  • /ˈflæt.ə.ɹi/ UK
  • /ˈflæt.ɚ.i/ US

Rhymes with -ætəɹi

Where it comes from

From Middle English flaterye, flaterie, from Old French flaterie, from the verb flater (“to flatter”). By surface analysis, flatter + -y (forming abstract nouns).

noun flatteries

  1. uncountable Excessive praise or approval, which is often insincere and sometimes contrived to win favour. Don't you know that some of his contributions here are pure flattery?
  2. 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.

Similar: carny, flattery, incense, adulation, ass-kissing, ass-licking, blandishment, gloze, hoomalimali, soft sawder, sooth, sycophancy

Flattery²

Where it comes from

Borrowed from Irish Ó Flaithre.

proper noun Flatterys

  1. A surname from Irish.

Thesaurus

noun

Similar: carny, flattery, incense, adulation, ass-kissing, ass-licking, blandishment, gloze, hoomalimali, soft sawder, sooth, sycophancy

Translations

Every language

noun excessive praise

Españoladulación, peloteo, falago, halago, asentación
한국어아첨 acheom
日本語お世辞 oseji, おべっか obekka, 諂媚 tembi
中文吹捧 chuīpěng, 马屁 mǎpì, 奉承 fèngchéng, 逢迎 féngyíng
हिन्दीचापलूसी cāplūsī
Portuguêslisonja, bajulação
Françaisflatterie
DeutschSchmeichelei, Schöntuerei, Schmus
Italianosalamelecchi, adulazione, piaggeria, sviolinata, incensamento, chitarrata
Ελληνικάκολακεία kolakeía
Русскийлесть lestʹ, подхали́мство podxalímstvo

noun instant of excessive praise

Españolpiropo, camelo, lisonja, requiebro, halago, flor
DeutschGeschmeichel
Italianolusinga
Ελληνικάκολακεία kolakeía

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Cite this
MLA

"flattery." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/flattery. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

flattery. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/flattery

Chicago

"flattery." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/flattery.

BibTeX
@misc{flattery_2026,
  title = {flattery},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/flattery},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}