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.
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Recent Examples of flattering
Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 July 2025
You’re seen at your most competent and capable—a refreshing confidence booster that feels flattering and alluring.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 18 July 2025
Sean McIndoe, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025
The coat packs down small enough to be a good choice for travel, and the fit is flattering enough to look good around town.
—Maggie Slepian, Travel + Leisure, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flattering
Verb
Wearers will love the elastic waistband that doesn’t cinch too tightly, but just enough to create a flattering silhouette.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 July 2025
You’re seen at your most competent and capable—a refreshing confidence booster that feels flattering and alluring.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 18 July 2025
Adjective
The flip side of the previous entry, the score was flattering here, as Canada jumped out to a 5-0 lead on the strength of big games from Wayne Gretzky and a teenaged Eric Lindros.
—Sean McIndoe, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025
The coat packs down small enough to be a good choice for travel, and the fit is flattering enough to look good around town.
—Maggie Slepian, Travel + Leisure, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flattering
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flattering
Adjective
-
The law is widely feared among dissidents in Thailand both because it is interpreted broadly to include any speech or action that is not laudatory and innocent verdicts are rare.—
Tyrell Haberkorn,
The Conversation,
7 July 2025
-
As of this writing, the comments are still on and the top ones are all laudatory.—
Elizabeth Logan,
Glamour,
24 June 2025
Adjective
-
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez took to X on Saturday to say his office was closely monitoring the situation and advised use excessive caution in the affected areas.—
Opheli Garcia Lawler,
Travel + Leisure,
14 July 2025
-
Protecting Financial Privacy: The Act ensures that digital financial systems do not compromise individual freedoms or privacy due to excessive government oversight. — Yahoo! Finance and Investopedia contributed to this report.—
Alexis Simmerman,
Austin American Statesman,
14 July 2025
Adjective
-
Haley rounded out her presidential resume with a foreign-policy position in Trump’s first administration, seemed to leave her job on good terms with the president, and delivered a fulsome speech to the 2020 Republican National Convention comparing Trump at length to Reagan.—
W. James Antle III,
The Washington Examiner,
2 July 2025
-
These true wireless earbuds deliver truly satisfying audio with a superb sense of rhythm and a fulsome bass thanks to the use of magnetic fluid driver technology.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes,
7 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
YouGov/Economist also reported a decline, from 39 percent favorable and 45 percent unfavorable in January to 37 percent favorable and 51 percent unfavorable in July.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Aug. 2025
-
The risk-benefit ratio of the COVID-19 vaccination remains strongly favorable.—
Armstrong Williams,
Baltimore Sun,
2 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Despite the cool design vibe here, there’s nothing pretentious about Ammos Hotel, which is ultimately a family hotel with a friendly atmosphere– evidenced by its most beloved employee: a Boston Terrier named Jonny.—
Monica Mendal,
Vogue,
15 July 2025
-
Even when Season Three felt meandering or pretentious, the vibe set by the music and the production design never faltered.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
26 June 2025
Verb
-
Independence Police Chief Adam Dustman has announced an internal investigation into a November police shooting that killed a mother and her baby, while applauding the officer who fired the fatal bullets.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
21 Mar. 2025
-
Some Jewish groups are applauding the effort.—
Jeff Zeman,
Sun Sentinel,
18 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
This vendor lock-in creates a dependency that can lead to inflated prices, limited feature sets and a slower pace of innovation.—
Rajat Bhargava,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
-
The fish then, choking on the convenient snack, would have attempted to push the belemnite tissue out through the gills, while the inflated phragmocone remained in the mouth cavity, suffocating the animal in the process.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
13 July 2025
Adjective
-
This incident comes after her previous legal troubles, including a positive marijuana test at the 2021 U.S. Olympic trials that prevented her from competing at the Tokyo Olympics.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Aug. 2025
-
Lee had a positive run along Rest Bay, hitting 67 to go 7-under-par and into third place.—
Caoimhe O'Neill,
New York Times,
2 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flattering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flattering. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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