# flatter

/ˈfɫætɝ/ (US) · /flˈætɐ/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/flatter
Updated: 2026-05-07

## Definition

to praise someone more than they deserve, often because you want something from them. It can also mean that something makes you look more attractive than usual.

For teachers: to praise excessively or insincerely, typically to further one's own interests. Also used to describe a representation or garment that enhances the subject's appearance.

## Examples

- He tries to flatter his boss to get a promotion.
- I suspect he is only trying to flatter me because he needs a favor this weekend.
- While the biographer intended to be objective, the final portrait tended to flatter the monarch by omitting his more controversial political failures.

## Pitfalls

- Not "She flattered to him" but "She flattered him" — Flatter is a transitive verb and does not take the preposition 'to' before the object.

## Usage notes

- The verb is transitive and takes a direct object.

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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.