What does flatterer mean?
A flatterer is a person who lavishes praise on others not out of genuine admiration but to gain favour, advantage, or influence. The word carries a strongly negative connotation: it implies that the compliments are insincere, calculated, and often servile. Flatterers appear throughout literature and history as figures of mistrust — courtiers whispering into a monarch's ear, hangers-on cultivating a wealthy patron, or colleagues angling for promotion through empty compliments. English offers a rich set of near-synonyms, including sycophant and toady, each shading the idea of servile praise in its own way. The word derives from the verb 'to flatter', which traces back through Old French 'flater', meaning to stroke or caress — a reminder that flattery was originally imagined as a physical soothing of another's ego. Knowing the term is useful because it names a familiar social type with precision: the person whose kindness is a strategy rather than a sentiment.
nounA person who flatters someone, offering excessive or insincere praise, typically to gain favour or advantage.
- A person who praises others excessively or insincerely in order to win favour or advantage.
"The king surrounded himself with flatterers who told him only what he wished to hear."
"A skilled flatterer, he complimented the director's every remark until his colleagues stopped taking him seriously."
"Cassandra saw through her adviser at once — beneath the polished manners was nothing more than a flatterer seeking a promotion."
Regular plural; used when referring to multiple people given to flattery.
"The court was full of flatterers competing for the queen's attention."
The word behind every court intrigue: a flatterer is what you call someone whose compliments are really a form of self-interest.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of flatterer
Flatterer comes from the verb 'flatter', which entered Middle English from Old French 'flater' (later 'flatrer'), meaning to stroke, caress, or fawn — ultimately thought to derive from a Germanic root related to flattening or smoothing. The agent noun 'flatterer' was formed in Middle English to denote one who flatters. Related forms include the noun 'flattery' and the adjective 'flattering'.
How flatterer is actually used
Almost always derogatory. The word implies deliberate insincerity and usually an ulterior motive, so calling someone a flatterer is itself a criticism.
Easily confused with flatterer
'Flatter' is the verb meaning to praise insincerely, while 'flatterer' is the noun denoting the person who does it.