1
as in praising
to praise too much
the billionaire has an army of assistants who are eager to flatter him at every opportunity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in priding
to think highly of (oneself)
don't flatter yourself that no one has ever thought of that idea before
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in laudatory
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
2
as in excessive
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of flattering
Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 16 Sep. 2025
Ranging in sizes 4 Petite to 24 Plus, this casual yet classy dress features button cuff sleeves, a flattering tie closure, and over a dozen colors to choose from.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Sep. 2025
Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Coming off Past Lives, Lee was a natural fit, though one potential complication with The Studio’s cameos is that many require the actors to play less-than-flattering versions of themselves.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 16 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flattering
Verb
Trump is extremely flattering of the royal family.
—Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 16 Sep. 2025
Ranging in sizes 4 Petite to 24 Plus, this casual yet classy dress features button cuff sleeves, a flattering tie closure, and over a dozen colors to choose from.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
The phrase sounds harmless, even flattering.
—Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Coming off Past Lives, Lee was a natural fit, though one potential complication with The Studio’s cameos is that many require the actors to play less-than-flattering versions of themselves.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 16 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flattering
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flattering
Verb
-
The White House shared statements with the Washington Examiner from several administration officials praising Budowich.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Rylee Arnold, Witney Carson, and Brylee Armstrong all backed Lindsay’s message, praising her for speaking out.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
If bookmaking was in theory the keel that kept the ship upright, in practice Bowyer often treated it as another gamble, priding himself on taking bets that his competition wouldn’t touch.—
DAVID AMSDEN,
Rolling Stone,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Speaking of rambunctious audiences, the crazy laudatory-clapping disease has infected the Jimmy Kimmel Live!—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Given the opportunity to press their luck, the Europeans instead decided to push laudatory comments that would not draw any backlash.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
That could drastically reduce risks of skin cancer, cataracts, and ecosystem damage that are typically caused by excessive ultraviolet radiation exposure.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
20 Sep. 2025
-
Given recent government scrutiny on excessive competition, big subsidies for delivery services are more of a concern than spending heavily on tech investments, BDA’s Clark noted.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Cozens’ former teammate Kyle Okposo took to Cozens right away, even commending the youngster for his leadership skills.—
Julian McKenzie,
New York Times,
24 Sep. 2025
-
Carrie Severino, president of the conservative advocacy group Judicial Crisis Network, told the Washington Examiner that clearer emergency docket orders can help stop issues from returning to the docket, while commending the justices for taking up the FTC firing case.—
Jack Birle,
The Washington Examiner,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
People commented on the Facebook post congratulating the winner.—
Helena Wegner,
Sacbee.com,
24 Sep. 2025
-
The fourth is congratulating the kid for finding Courtland Sutton over the top for a sumptuous 52-yard score on fourth-and-2.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
It was crafted for robust and fulsome flavor from start to finish.—
Gege Reed,
The Courier-Journal,
2 Aug. 2025
-
Sadly, its five-year academic record is weak but can be turned around under stronger leadership that leverages the benefits of modern infrastructure and fulsome resources.—
Forrest Claypool,
Chicago Tribune,
10 July 2025
Verb
-
Create some suspense and anticipation by going in slowly, starting with the head and just massaging it slightly with the tip of your tongue.—
Ian Kumamoto,
Them.,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Certainly not once the front and rear heated seats and front massaging seats are powered on.—
Scotty Reiss,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flattering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flattering. Accessed 26 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share