What does flattered mean?
'Flattered' describes the pleasant feeling of being pleased and honoured by someone's praise, admiration, or special attention. It functions both as an adjective — as in 'she was flattered to be invited' — and as the past tense of the verb 'flatter', which means to praise someone, sometimes sincerely but often excessively or insincerely in order to gain favour. The word carries warmly positive connotations: to feel flattered is to feel valued and singled out. In conversation it frequently appears in polite formulas such as 'deeply flattered', 'genuinely flattered', or the softening turn 'I'm flattered, but no.' The word's history is intriguing: it descends from Old French, where the underlying verb probably originally referred to stroking or caressing, before shifting into the realm of complimentary speech. Today it remains a staple of gracious social language, useful for acknowledging compliments while signalling modesty, and its companion noun 'flattery' serves as a reminder that praise is not always disinterested.
Feeling pleased, honoured, or gratified by someone's praise, admiration, or attention.
"He was flattered that so many old colleagues had travelled to attend his retirement dinner."
Often intensified with adverbs such as 'deeply' or qualified with 'genuinely'; commonly paired with 'but' when politely declining something.
Past tense and past participle of 'flatter': praised someone, especially insincerely or exaggeratedly, in order to please or win favour.
"She flattered the interviewer so shamelessly that everyone in the room noticed."
When used of insincere praise, it carries a manipulative connotation associated with sycophancy.
Before it ever meant praising someone, 'flatter' likely began life as a word for stroking or caressing — so every flattering compliment is, at heart, a verbal pat on the back.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of flattered
'Flattered' derives from the verb 'flatter', which entered Middle English from Old French 'flater', meaning to stroke, caress, or fawn — a sense that gradually gave way to the idea of excessive or insincere praise. The ultimate origin of the Old French word is debated; it has been linked to Germanic sources, so its deeper ancestry remains uncertain rather than firmly traceable to Latin. The adjective use of 'flattered' developed naturally from the verb's past participle, describing the state of having received such praise. Its close companions 'flattery' and 'flatterer' preserve the older, more cynical sense of praise offered for advantage.
Related word forms
How flattered is actually used
As an adjective, 'flattered' carries warm connotations and is used mainly in polite or formal social contexts; it often appears with modifiers such as 'deeply', 'genuinely', or 'rather'. A common caveat phrase is 'I'm flattered, but…', used to soften a refusal of romantic or professional advances. As the verb form, the sense of insincere praise links back to 'flattery', which traditionally carries a whiff of manipulation.
Easily confused with flattered
'Fluttered' means moved with quick light wingbeats or made nervous and excited, while 'flattered' means pleased by praise or attention.