flatter

1 of 2

verb

flat·​ter ˈfla-tər How to pronounce flatter (audio)
flattered; flattering; flatters

transitive verb

1
: to praise excessively especially from motives of self-interest
He flattered her with comments about how youthful she looks.
2
a
archaic : beguile sense 2
b
: to encourage or gratify especially with the assurance that something is right
I flatter myself that my interpretation is correct.
3
a
: to portray too favorably
The portrait flatters him.
b
: to display to advantage
Candlelight often flatters the face.
flatterer noun

flatter

2 of 2

noun

: one that flattens
especially : a flat-faced swage used in smithing

Examples of flatter in a Sentence

Verb He flattered her with comments about her youthful appearance. It flattered her to be asked to sing at their wedding. That dress really flatters your figure.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
His opponent, Senator Caleb Boggs, had won seven straight elections, but Biden saw a path for himself—playing up his youth, showing off his handsome family, flattering Boggs with patronizing grace. Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 Gemini’s biggest haters still prefer AI imagery that flatters Republicans over the work of a visionary artist. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 23 Feb. 2024 This is the case with the La Blanca Island Goddess One-Piece Swimsuit, which combines a slimming, slightly compressive blend of nylon and elastane with a delicate, feminine cut to flatter your natural body shape. Jessica MacDonald, Travel + Leisure, 27 Feb. 2024 The school library is open at Abbott Elementary — in a loving way, as actor Chris Perfetti tells EW at the 2024 SAG Awards that he's flattered by fan comparisons to current RuPaul's Drag Race season 16 contestant Plasma. Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 24 Feb. 2024 For Sarfo, a big part of developing body confidence has been learning to not be flattered by compliments about her body, especially those from men. Annie Blay, Allure, 22 Feb. 2024 Though he’s flattered his fellow chefs are joining in the tribute, Bottura says the festival spotlight, like all spotlights, casts a wider glow, highlighting all the people who make a restaurant successful. Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 20 Feb. 2024 These medium haircuts are easy to maintain and will flatter any face shape. Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 26 Jan. 2024 The wrap design flatters every figure, and the high-low V-neck adds just the right amount of sass. Mia Meltzer, Rolling Stone, 10 Nov. 2023
Noun
But House Hunters appeals to, flatters, and even occasionally tuts at the same set of concerns and desires as those other shows. Phillip MacIak, The New Republic, 24 Aug. 2023 The all-over ruching slims and flatters, while the mid-rise waist offers a little extra support around the midriff. Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 2 Aug. 2023 This suit fits like a dream — flatters and covers all the right places. Amy Schulman, Peoplemag, 29 June 2023 Cut from a breathable poplin cotton into an A-line cut that's smocked, the Mimi dress flatters to no end. harpersbazaar.com, 9 May 2023 The signs have long since been phased out by San Francisco officials for a flatter, decidedly less cool design, but Zotto was able to recreate their distinctive font using historic photos. Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle, 19 Apr. 2021 Thats because the blue light tends to enhance all those imperfections that a soft glow flatters. Hadley Mendelsohn, House Beautiful, 26 Feb. 2020 Claflin and Munn, the film's de facto leads, fare quite a measure worse, owing to their substantial lack of chemistry and line readings that fall flatter than a drunken uncle at the reception. Isaac Feldberg, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2020 The graph has two slopes, an extremely steep one and another that is much flatter and extends over a longer period of time. Anna Kuchment, Dallas News, 14 Mar. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flatter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English flateren, from Anglo-French flater to lap, flatter, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German flaz flat

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1714, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of flatter was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near flatter

Cite this Entry

“Flatter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flatter. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

flatter

verb
flat·​ter
ˈflat-ər
1
: to praise too much and not sincerely
2
: to judge oneself as better than another
I flatter myself on my skill in dancing
3
: to represent too attractively
a picture that flatters me
flatterer
-ər-ər
noun
flatteringly
-ə-riŋ-lē
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on flatter

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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