# butter up

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/butter-up
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

to be extra nice or give someone many compliments because you want them to do a favor for you.

For teachers: to praise or flatter someone excessively, typically with the ulterior motive of securing a favor or advantage.

## Examples

- He is trying to butter up his boss to get a promotion.
- She spent the whole evening buttering up her parents before asking to borrow their car for the weekend.
- The lobbyists attempted to butter up the committee members with expensive dinners and glowing praise before the crucial vote on the new regulations.

## Pitfalls

- Not "He buttered up to his teacher." but "He buttered up his teacher." — do not use 'to' after the phrase; the person being flattered is the direct object of the phrasal verb.

## Usage notes

- often used when the praise feels insincere or strategic.
- Teaching tip: the metaphor of spreading butter to make something 'slide' or 'go down' more easily helps students remember the concept of softening someone up with flattery.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.