'Flatter' definitions:

Definition of 'flatter'

From: WordNet
verb
Praise somewhat dishonestly [syn: flatter, blandish] [ant: belittle, disparage, pick at]

Definition of 'Flatter'

From: GCIDE
  • Flatter \Flat"ter\ (fl[a^]t"t[~e]r), n.
  • 1. One who, or that which, makes flat or flattens. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. (Metal Working) (a) A flat-faced fulling hammer. (b) A drawplate with a narrow, rectangular orifice, for drawing flat strips, as watch springs, etc. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'Flatter'

From: GCIDE
  • 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]

Definition of 'Flatter'

From: GCIDE
  • Flatter \Flat"ter\, v. i. To use flattery or insincere praise. [1913 Webster]
  • If it may stand him more in stead to lie, Say and unsay, feign, flatter, or adjure. --Milton. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'Flatter'

From: GCIDE
  • Flat \Flat\ (fl[a^]t), a. [Compar. Flatter (fl[a^]t"r[~e]r); superl. Flattest (fl[a^]t"t[e^]st).] [Akin to Icel. flatr, Sw. flat, Dan. flad, OHG. flaz, and AS. flet floor, G. fl["o]tz stratum, layer.]
  • 1. Having an even and horizontal surface, or nearly so, without prominences or depressions; level without inclination; plane. [1913 Webster]
  • Though sun and moon Were in the flat sea sunk. --Milton. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. Lying at full length, or spread out, upon the ground; level with the ground or earth; prostrate; as, to lie flat on the ground; hence, fallen; laid low; ruined; destroyed. [1913 Webster]
  • What ruins kingdoms, and lays cities flat! --Milton. [1913 Webster]
  • I feel . . . my hopes all flat. --Milton. [1913 Webster]
  • 3. (Fine Arts) Wanting relief; destitute of variety; without points of prominence and striking interest. [1913 Webster]
  • A large part of the work is, to me, very flat. --Coleridge. [1913 Webster]
  • 4. Tasteless; stale; vapid; insipid; dead; as, fruit or drink flat to the taste. [1913 Webster]
  • 5. Unanimated; dull; uninteresting; without point or spirit; monotonous; as, a flat speech or composition. [1913 Webster]
  • How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable Seem to me all the uses of this world. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
  • 6. Lacking liveliness of commercial exchange and dealings; depressed; dull; as, the market is flat. [1913 Webster]
  • 7. Clear; unmistakable; peremptory; absolute; positive; downright.
  • Syn: flat-out. [1913 Webster]
  • Flat burglary as ever was committed. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
  • A great tobacco taker too, -- that's flat. --Marston. [1913 Webster]
  • 8. (Mus.) (a) Below the true pitch; hence, as applied to intervals, minor, or lower by a half step; as, a flat seventh; A flat. (b) Not sharp or shrill; not acute; as, a flat sound. [1913 Webster]
  • 9. (Phonetics) Sonant; vocal; -- applied to any one of the sonant or vocal consonants, as distinguished from a nonsonant (or sharp) consonant. [1913 Webster]
  • 10. (Golf) Having a head at a very obtuse angle to the shaft; -- said of a club. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
  • 11. (Gram.) Not having an inflectional ending or sign, as a noun used as an adjective, or an adjective as an adverb, without the addition of a formative suffix, or an infinitive without the sign to. Many flat adverbs, as in run fast, buy cheap, are from AS. adverbs in -["e], the loss of this ending having made them like the adjectives. Some having forms in ly, such as exceeding, wonderful, true, are now archaic. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
  • 12. (Hort.) Flattening at the ends; -- said of certain fruits. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
  • Flat arch. (Arch.) See under Arch, n., 2. (b).
  • Flat cap, cap paper, not folded. See under Paper.
  • Flat chasing, in fine art metal working, a mode of ornamenting silverware, etc., producing figures by dots and lines made with a punching tool. --Knight.
  • Flat chisel, a sculptor's chisel for smoothing.
  • Flat file, a file wider than its thickness, and of rectangular section. See File.
  • Flat nail, a small, sharp-pointed, wrought nail, with a flat, thin head, larger than a tack. --Knight.
  • Flat paper, paper which has not been folded.
  • Flat rail, a railroad rail consisting of a simple flat bar spiked to a longitudinal sleeper.
  • Flat rods (Mining), horizontal or inclined connecting rods, for transmitting motion to pump rods at a distance. --Raymond.
  • Flat rope, a rope made by plaiting instead of twisting; gasket; sennit.
  • Note: Some flat hoisting ropes, as for mining shafts, are made by sewing together a number of ropes, making a wide, flat band. --Knight.
  • Flat space. (Geom.) See Euclidian space.
  • Flat stitch, the process of wood engraving. [Obs.] -- {Flat tint} (Painting), a coat of water color of one uniform shade.
  • To fall flat (Fig.), to produce no effect; to fail in the intended effect; as, his speech fell flat. [1913 Webster]
  • Of all who fell by saber or by shot, Not one fell half so flat as Walter Scott. --Lord Erskine. [1913 Webster]

Synonyms of 'flatter'

From: Moby Thesaurus

Words containing 'Flatter'