What is the meaning of flattery person?
When you flatter someone, you praise and compliment him or her — but you aren’t totally sincere. You flatter your friend by telling her she’s the best driver in the world. Because you want her to offer you a ride.
What is a word for false flattery?
Noun. Excessive praise or approval, which is often insincere and sometimes contrived to win favour. flattery. adulation. blarney.
What is the difference between a compliment and flattery?
Both flattery and compliments are used to praise someone; however, there is a big difference between flattery and compliment. The key difference between flattery and compliment lies in the sincerity. Flattery is excessive or insincere praise whereas compliments are a genuine appreciation of something or someone.
What is the synonym of flattery?
In this page you can discover 71 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for flattery, like: bootlicking, sweet-talk, , blarney, praise, stroking, adulation, cajolery, blandishment, excessive compliment and derision. Words That Rhyme With Orange.
Is flattery a good thing?
Flattery is dishonest when used to gain or control. It is effective, because everyone has insecurities and loves to be told great things about themselves. Flattery is particularly common during dating and in new relationships, but usually wears off as relationships settle into commitment and reality.
Does flatter mean praise?
Flatter is defined as to praise or compliment. An example of flatter is to tell someone that she looks pretty today. To please or gratify the vanity of. To praise too much, untruly, or insincerely, as in order to win favor.
What is insincere flattery?
Flattery is excessive praise. As opposed to real praise, flattery is insincere and almost always has an ulterior motive. The Old English root word of flatter is flater, which originally meant “to stroke with the hand or caress.” When you stroke someone’s ego to get what you want, you’re using flattery.
What do you call insincere flattery?
Talk or praise used to charm, flatter, or persuade. sweet talk. flattery. flannel. blarney.
Why is flatter bad?
Flattery has a bad name. It’s associated with saying something upbeat but untrue in order to hoodwink its unsuspecting target for low personal gain. But there’s another form of flattery with more valuable and ethical ambitions.
Is flatter positive or negative?
So “I’m flattered” is usually a positive statement, and “you flatter yourself” is often a very negative one. “You flatter me” falls between those two expressions on the positive-negative continuum. On the one hand—as the poster notes—it can function in a positive way to express modesty in response to a compliment.
What is an example of flattery?
Flattery is defined as praise or compliments, usually exaggerated or false. An example of flattery is a person who’s hoping for a raise telling their boss how great their new hair cut looks. Excessive, untrue, or insincere praise; exaggerated compliment or attention.
What does idle mean in Merriam Webster Dictionary?
(Entry 1 of 2) 1 : not occupied or employed: such as 2 : lacking worth or basis : vain idle chatter idle pleasure 1 : to run at low power and often disconnected usually so that power is not used for useful work the engine is idling 1 : to pass in idleness 2 : to cause to idle 3 : to make idle workers idled by a strike
What does flattery mean in the Webster Dictionary?
Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition: Flattery(verb) the act or practice of flattering; the act of pleasing by artiful commendation or compliments; adulation; false, insincere, or excessive praise.
Who is an example of an insincere flatterer?
An insincere flatterer is a stock character in many literary works. Examples include Wormtongue from J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, Goneril and Regan from King Lear, and Iago from Othello. Historians and philosophers have paid attention to flattery as a problem in ethics and politics.
What’s the difference between idle speculation and hollow?
idle speculations empty and hollow suggest a deceiving lack of real substance or soundness or genuineness. an empty attempt at reconciliation a hollow victory. inactive, idle, inert, passive, supine mean not engaged in work or activity.