FLATTERIES Synonyms: 39 Similar and Opposite Words

flattery

noun

ˈfla-tə-rē

Definition of flattery

as in praise

excessive praise a talk show host who is known for charming her guests with disingenuous flattery

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of flattery While the purpose of the video may have been didactic, Jiang tried her hand at flattery. — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 25 July 2026 Sanghee, who has a day job importing snacks and shoots short films in her spare time, spends two days with the family as old secrets, unsolicited advice and hollow flattery come to the surface. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 July 2026 Rutte’s approach of using flattery to win over the president prompted some to question whether this had delivered any tangible benefits for the alliance. — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 9 July 2026 Fake travel email uses flattery The message says your activity placed you among a select number of loyal members. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for flattery

Recent Examples of Synonyms for flattery

Noun

The pivot generated brilliant press, local political praise, and high trustee engagement.

— Aparna Rae, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Your album has been receiving a lot of praise from fans and critics.

— Kailyn Brown, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of praise

Noun

Djokovic will have cheers about as loud as the ones that will be heard for the Americans Shelton and Fritz, the type of adulation that often fizzles before the ultimate prize.

— Ava Wallace, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
What might her bandmate Daniela Avanzini have to say in a song about their past year of adulation and never-ending scrutiny?

— Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of adulation

Noun

For modern audiences, this scene likely evokes the imaginative world of Toy Story, the long-running film franchise about the secret lives of children’s toys, which launched to great acclaim in 1995 and recently released its fifth installment.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2026
Kusama represented Japan at the 1993 Venice Biennale, becoming the first female artist to solely represent Japan at the event, and the accumulation of her work was met with acclaim.

— Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of acclaim

Noun

Instant fame and all its trappings are something most people would love to marinate in, to soak up what almost always is fleeting adoration.

— Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026
Another work, a small double-sided panel portraying the Virgin Mary and Child with a Franciscan friar in adoration on one side and the dead Christ in Pietà on the other, was also stolen.

— Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of adoration

Browse Nearby Words

flatters

flattery

flatulent

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Flattery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flattery. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of flattery

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

kith

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 28

Why do we say 'break a leg'?

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes