flattering

4 definitions found

flattering - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Flatter \Flat"ter\ (fl[a^]t"t[~e]r), v. t. [imp. & p. p.
     Flattered; p. pr. & vb. n. Flattering.] [OE. flateren,
     cf. OD. flatteren; akin to G. flattern to flutter, Icel.
     fla[eth]ra to fawn, flatter: cf. F. flatter. Cf. Flitter,
     Flutter, Flattery.]
     1. To treat with praise or blandishments; to gratify or
        attempt to gratify the self-love or vanity of, esp. by
        artful and interested commendation or attentions; to
        blandish; to cajole; to wheedle.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              When I tell him he hates flatterers,
              He says he does, being then most flattered. --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              A man that flattereth his neighbor, spreadeth a net
              for his feet.                         --Prov. xxix.
                                                    5.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Others he flattered by asking their advice.
                                                    --Prescott.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. To raise hopes in; to encourage or favorable, but
        sometimes unfounded or deceitful, representations.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. To portray too favorably; to give a too favorable idea of;
        as, his portrait flatters him.
        [1913 Webster]

  Flattering \Flat"ter*ing\, a.
     That flatters (in the various senses of the verb); as, a
     flattering speech.
     [1913 Webster]
  
           Lay not that flattering unction to your soul. --Shak.
     [1913 Webster]
  
           A flattering painter, who made it his care,
           To draw men as they ought be, not as they are.
                                                    --Goldsmith.
     [1913 Webster]

flattering - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  flattering
      adj 1: showing or representing to advantage; "a flattering
             color" [ant: uncomplimentary, unflattering]

flattering - Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 :

  73 Moby Thesaurus words for "flattering":
     abject, acclamatory, admiring, adulatory, appreciative,
     approbatory, backscratching, becoming, beggarly, bland,
     blandishing, blarneying, bootlicking, buttery, cajoling,
     commendatory, complimentary, courtierly, courtly, cowering,
     crawling, cringing, crouching, encomiastic, enhancing, eulogistic,
     fair-spoken, fawning, fine-spoken, footlicking, fulsome,
     gratifying, groveling, gushing, hangdog, honey-mouthed,
     honey-tongued, honeyed, ingratiating, insincere, insinuating, kind,
     laudatory, mealymouthed, obeisant, obsequious, oily, oily-tongued,
     on bended knee, panegyric, parasitic, prostrate, regardful,
     respectful, slimy, slobbery, smarmy, smooth, smooth-spoken,
     smooth-tongued, sniveling, soapy, soft-soaping, sponging, sugary,
     sycophantic, timeserving, toadeating, toadying, toadyish,
     truckling, unctuous, wheedling