butter up

butter up

verb

Definition of BUTTER UP

transitive verb

: to charm or beguile with lavish flattery or praise

Examples of BUTTER UP

1. <a flunky who shamelessly butters up the boss>

First Known Use of BUTTER UP

1819

Related to BUTTER UP

Synonyms: adulate, belaud, blarney, flatter, hero-worship, honey, massage, overpraise, puff, soft-soap, stroke

Related Words: blandish, cajole, coax, sweet-talk, wheedle; fawn, kowtow, suck (up to), toady; idolize, worship; eulogize, extol (also extoll), laud, praise; applaud, commend, compliment; congratulate, felicitate; drool, gush, slaver, slobber; endear, ingratiate; court, romance, woo

Near Antonyms: bad-mouth, belittle, decry, depreciate, disparage, put down

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Rhymes with BUTTER UP

belly-up, belly up, bottom-up, buckle up, bundle up, buttercup, buttoned-up, cover-up, cozy up, double up, dummy up, fancy up, follow-up, gussy up, higher-up, lighten up, live it up, loosen up, loving cup, measure up, mix it up, open up, pick-me-up, pony up, power up, runner-up, seven-up, shoot-'em-up, stirrup cup, suck it up, suction cup, summing-up, up-and-up, wickiup, winding-up