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
-
Whether your hair is naturally dry or parched from excessive color treatments and heat styling, brittle strands are a stubborn bummer.—
Annie Blackman,
Glamour,
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
-
Brussels has exempted defense expenditure from its strict rules on government spending and pledged to create a €150 billion fund from which countries can borrow, at favorable interest rates, to invest in their defense.—
Anna Cooban,
CNN Money,
21 July 2025
-
Owns a favorable athletic profile for a mid-skill with bright green speed and explosion scores.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
20 July 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
My book recommendations are uncommon, but not pretentious.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
3 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
-
If the number is negative, there are fewer jobs than in the previous month; if the number is positive, there are more jobs.—
Erik Sherman,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
-
So obviously the word of mouth is very positive both here and everywhere else.—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
20 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flattering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flattering. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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