ENGLISH
REFERENCE

tickle the ear

idiom
Meaning

To flatter someone.


Examples
SIMPLE

He tries to tickle the ear of his boss with compliments.

CONTEXTUAL

The politician knows exactly how to tickle the ear of the voters during his campaign speeches.

COMPLEX

The advisor sought to tickle the ear of the king with pleasant promises, hoping to secure his position at court.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    bend someone's ear

    To bore; to talk too long, especially to one particular person.

  2. 02

    ear to the ground

    The practice or characteristic of carefully gathering information; a state or mindset of attentiveness.

  3. 03

    ear tunnel

    A round piece of jewelry with a hole in the middle, which fits into a stretched earlobe.

  4. 04

    flea in one's ear

    A stinging rebuke or rebuff.

  5. 05

    give ear

    To listen: to devote one's attention to an auditory event.

  6. 06

    go in one ear and out the other

    To be heard but not attended to, when a person fails to pay attention.

  7. 07

    have a word in someone's ear

    To speak to someone in private.

  8. 08

    have the wolf by the ear

    To be in a dangerous situation from which one cannot disengage, but in which one cannot safely remain.

© 2026 English Reference