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

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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
  • Scam Buster is a bot that will reply to scammers in your inbox, placating them with the same social engineering tactics that scammers use, such as impersonation, flattery, and urgent messaging.
    — Kim Key, PC Magazine, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Here is a man who believes fervently in his own flattery but also wields it like a weapon.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of flattery
Noun
  • Despite Schaffer’s praise of his acting chops, Lewis doesn’t think the ex-POTUS will be rushing to add more credits to his IMDb page.
    — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 8 Aug. 2026
  • The song removal was greeted with praise from Swift fans in the Tik Tok comments.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 8 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
  • Danny DeVito, Lucy DeVito and Jake DeVito produced the film, which premiered at SXSW 2026 to critical acclaim.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026
  • After receiving national acclaim for redefining Korean-American cuisine in Chicago, husband and wife celebrity chefs Beverly Kim and Johnny Clark are embarking on a new culinary venture, one that brings them to downtown Evanston.
    — Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 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 14 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on butter

Nglish: Translation of butter for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about butter

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