butter

noun

ˈbə-tər How to pronounce butter (audio)
Definition of butternext
as in flattery
excessive praise a junior exec who was laying on the butter so thickly that her colleagues were ready to gag

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for butter
  1. flattery
  2. praise
  3. soft soap
  4. sweet talk
  5. adulation
  6. acclaim
Noun
  • Three Practical Moves To Create Accountability Three habits convert a flattery machine into something more useful.
    — Samuel Rodrigues, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • While the purpose of the video may have been didactic, Jiang tried her hand at flattery.
    — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 25 July 2026
Definition of flattery
Noun
  • Caminero has also demonstrated improved plate discipline in 2026, earning praise from manager Kevin Cash for his selective approach.
    — Tom Layberger, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • That praise for Legette isn’t based on his performance Friday, which admittedly wasn’t nearly as splashy as previous training camp practices have been from him.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of praise
Noun
  • People should wash any skin that comes into contact with the slurry with water and soft soap, before using a hand cream to avoid dryness and cracking.
    — Lauren Penington, The Denver Post, 2 Sep. 2024
  • Founder and creative director Joy Cho’s lifestyle brand offers whimsical products, spanning bandages to soft soap, as well as regular editorial content online.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2021
Definition of soft soap
Noun
  • Watch an encounter full of sweet talk, gaslighting and tension here.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 14 Feb. 2026
  • Don’t fall for compliments that don’t feel genuine, and don’t be afraid to confront whatever’s beneath someone’s sweet talk.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 23 Sep. 2025
Definition of sweet talk
Noun
  • The adulation was directed at Harvey Levin, the co-creator and editor of the tabloid news organization.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 22 July 2026
  • The people standing included A-list Hollywood stars and world leaders, all giving the Prince and Princess of Wales a very public show of respect and adulation.
    — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 13 July 2026
Definition of adulation
Noun
  • Receiving acclaim for those realistic portrayals still doesn’t feel real to Infiniti.
    — Brande Victorian, HollywoodReporter, 31 July 2026
  • The stage production received critical acclaim and earned multiple Tony Awards including best direction of a play for Sam Pinkleton and best actor in a play for Escola.
    — Anthony Solorzano, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026
Definition of acclaim
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.

Phrases Containing butter

Browse Nearby Words

butted (on or against)
butter
buttered up
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Butter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/butter. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on butter

Nglish: Translation of butter for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about butter

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of invidious

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All