flatter

verb [T]

/ˈflæt.ər/

/ˈflæt̬.ɚ/

Definition

› to praise someone in order to make them feel attractive or important, sometimes in a way that is not sincere: I knew he was only flattering me because he wanted to borrow some money.Praising insincerely or too eagerly flatter yourself › to believe something good about yourself although it might not be true: [+ that] Clive flatters himself that he's an excellent speaker.Showing arrogance and conceitConfidence and self-assuranceBoasting flatter to deceive › to give the appearance of being better than the true situation: I suspect these statistics flatter to deceive.Exaggerating and playing downPraising and applauding be/feel flattered › to feel very pleased and proud because someone has said good things about you or has made you feel important: She was flattered by his attention. They were flattered to be invited to dinner by the mayor. We felt flattered that so many people came to our party.Taking pleasure in something › to make someone look more attractive than usual: That new hairstyle really flatters her. Short skirts don't flatter me at all.Decorating or making something attractive

(Definition of flatter verb from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)