flattering

adjective

flat·​ter·​ing ˈfla-tər-iŋ 

1

: marked by flattery: such as

a

: showing or expressing gratifying respect or admiration

a flattering comparison

His colleagues might have disowned him, but they didn't receive flattering invitations to speak all over the country and to write for The New York Times.

—Richard Dawkins

b

: excessively or insincerely complimentary

… a steady stream of ham actors, all of whom were welcomed with flattering speeches.

—H. L. Mencken

2

: helping to enhance attractiveness

a necktie in a flattering color

… dictating the most flattering camera angles.

—David Margolick

The gowns were indeed smashing: smart, sexy, eye-catching, and very, very flattering.

—The New Yorker

flatteringly adverb

The so-called Generation X has been described by some—not flatteringly—as a scavenger culture that gathers music, art and fashions from recent past generations rather than creating its own.

—Steve Hochman

Her upper body is all besuited business—the black jacket, the white blouse reflecting flatteringly on the face, the understated silver choker and earrings, the burnished brown bob.

—Rebecca Mead

Examples of flattering in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The shoes feature an open pointed toe, adjustable ankle strap, and elongated platform toe box for a flattering silhouette. —Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 28 May 2026

That April, OpenAI also rolled back an update to ChatGPT that the company said made the GPT-4o model overly flattering and agreeable, known as sycophancy. —Lauren Fichten, CBS News, 28 May 2026

The Avs remained defiant in defeat, sounding a little too much like Cleveland Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson, clinging to flattering analytics during his team’s own conference-final sweep at the hands of the New York Knicks. —Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 27 May 2026

The dress also features a flattering V-neck cut, elbow-length sleeves, dropped shoulders, bell sleeves, and ruched detailing. —Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 26 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing flattering

• self-flattering

Rhymes for flattering

• battering
• chattering
• clattering
• pattering
• scattering
• shattering
• smattering
• spattering
• backscattering
• unflattering