What does flatter mean?
To flatter is to praise someone excessively or insincerely, usually with the aim of winning favour, influence, or advantage. Unlike a genuine compliment, flattery is understood to serve the giver's interests, which is why the practice so often invites distrust: a person who flatters may just as readily turn critical when it suits them. The verb also has milder senses — clothing, lighting, or a photograph can be said to 'flatter' someone when it presents them more attractively than reality does. Common expressions such as 'flatter yourself' (a pointed way of telling someone they overestimate their importance) and 'flatter to deceive' (describing something whose early promise proves hollow) show how deeply scepticism toward flattery is embedded in everyday language. Derived forms include the noun 'flattery', the agent noun 'flatterer', and the adjectives 'flattering' and 'flattered', all in frequent modern use.
verbTo praise someone excessively or insincerely, typically to win favour or gain an advantage; more broadly, to make something seem better or more attractive than it really is.
- To praise someone excessively or insincerely, usually to gain advantage or favour
- To make someone feel pleased or honoured, often used of things ('it flatters her figure')
- To represent something as better or more attractive than it really is (e.g. 'the photo flatters him')
"He flattered his boss shamelessly, hoping for a promotion."
"She flattered the interviewer throughout, but her answers revealed little real knowledge."
"The soft lighting flatters the room far more than daylight does."
The word 'flatter' comes from an ancient Germanic root meaning 'to stroke smooth' — literally patting someone's ego like a cat.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of flatter
Flatter originated in Old French as 'flater', meaning to stroke or caress, and by extension to fawn upon or coax — a vivid image of physically stroking someone into good humour. The Old French verb itself is thought to derive from a Germanic root (Frankish *flatōn), related to words meaning flat or smooth, suggesting the original sense of smoothing or licking a surface. The word entered Middle English in the medieval period and has retained its core association with insincere, self-serving praise ever since, appearing in moral literature alongside warnings against flatterers at court.
Related word forms
How flatter is actually used
Often carries negative connotations of insincerity; the phrase 'flatter to deceive' specifically warns against being misled by initial promise. In reflexive use, 'don't flatter yourself' is a common rebuke implying someone has overestimated their importance. The related sense of clothing or lighting that 'flatters' someone is generally positive.
Easily confused with flatter
Flutter means to move or flap with quick, light movements (or to have an irregular heartbeat), whereas flatter means to praise insincerely.
Flatten means to make something flat or level, while flatter means to praise excessively or misrepresent something favourably.