flatter
To compliment someone, often insincerely and sometimes to win favourTo compliment someone, often (but not necessarily) insincerely and sometimes to win favour.
Recorded US: Dvortygirl, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
» I'm really flattered to hear that.
Я действительно польщён слышать это. — Selena777
Я действительно польщена слышать это. — Selena777
Мені дуже лесно це чути. — deniko
blay_paul · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FRTranslations
8 languagesBy meaning 1
By meaning 3
By meaning 2
Examples
111 sentencesI'm really flattered to hear that.
Мені дуже лесно це чути. — deniko
ruЯ действительно польщён слышать это. — Selena777
That's very flattering.
Це мені дуже лестить. — deniko
ruЭто мне очень льстит. — marafon
deDas ist sehr schmeichelhaft. — Pfirsichbaeumchen
You flatter me.
Ти мені лестиш. — deniko
ruВы мне льстите. — marafon
deDu schmeichelst mir. — al_ex_an_der
Meaning
6 senses(ambitransitive)To compliment someone, often (but not necessarily) insincerely and sometimes to win favour.
schmeicheln
льститьlʹstitʹ, польсти́тьpolʹstítʹ
лести́тиlestýty, улещуватиuleščuvaty, облещуватиobleščuvaty
(ambitransitive)To enhance or gratify someone's vanity by praising them.
anbiedern, einschmeicheln
льститьlʹstitʹ, раздува́ть чьё-либо э́гоrazduvátʹ čʹjo-libo égo, разду́ть чьё-либо э́гоrazdútʹ čʹjo-libo égo
(ambitransitive)To portray someone to advantage.
Her portrait flatters her.
anbiedern
льститьlʹstitʹ, выгора́живатьvygoráživatʹ, вы́городитьvýgoroditʹ
More meanings 3
(ambitransitive, reflexive, usually)To cheer or please (with the idea that); congratulate oneself, especially when the perception is false.
Before the results came out, I flattered myself that I had done well on the test. It turned out I was the worst in the class!
(ambitransitive)To encourage or cheer someone with (usually false) hope.
To cheer or please (with the idea that); congratulate oneself, especially when the perception is false.
(ambitransitive, intransitive, obsolete, reflexive, usually)In phrasal verb "to flatter with": to encourage, inspire with hope.
- praise somewhat dishonestly
Origin
*From Middle English flatteren, flateren (“to flutter, float, fawn over”), probably a conf*From Middle English flatteren, flateren (“to flutter, float, fawn over”), probably a conflation of Old English floterian, flotorian (“to flutter, float, be disquieted”), from Proto-West Germanic *flotrōn, from Proto-Germanic *flutrōną (“to be floating”), from Proto-Indo-European *plewd- (“to flow, swim”), equivalent to float + -er; and Old Norse flaðra (“to fawn on someone, flatter”), from Proto-Germanic *flaþrōną (“to fawn over, flutter”), from Proto-Indo-European *peled- (“moisture, wetness”), *pel- (“to gush, pour out, fill, flow, swim, fly”). Cognate with Scots flatter, flotter (“to float; splash; cover with liquid”), Middle Dutch flatteren (“to embellish, flatter, caress”), German flattern (“to flutter”).
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
flatters, flattering, flattered, flatteredirregular
| Base form | flatter · to flatter |
|---|---|
| 3rd person singular | flatters |
| Present participle | flattering |
| Past simple | flattered |
| Past participle | flattered |
Tenses
flatter · flattered · will flatter · have flatteredSynonyms
5 synonyms- praise somewhat dishonestly:blandish
Antonyms
3 antonymsWord family
17 related wordsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle
See also
neighbours in the dictionaryDictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.