flatter
/ˈflætə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈflætər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈfla-tər/ (ame, mw)
flatter — verb
- flatterpresent simple I / you / we / they
- flattershe / she / it
- flatteredpast simple
- flattering-ing form
1. to speak warmly to someone using words that are not completely honest, hoping to
to speak warmly to someone using words that are not completely honest, hoping to win their approval or obtain a favour from them
Olu flattered the hiring manager by calling her ideas brilliant, hoping to get the job.
flatter + noun + by + gerund
Tomás knew the customer was just flattering him to receive a discount on the furniture.
"Stop flattering me — I know my cooking is not that good!" laughed Sofia.
The young artist flattered the gallery owner with glowing praise about her new collection.
Priya could tell the salesman was flattering her, but she bought the dress anyway.
- criticize
to point out faults rather than exaggerate virtues
文法句型
flatter + noun
flatter + noun + into + gerund
用法筆記
Unlike the neutral verb 'praise', flatter implies that the speaker is motivated by self-interest rather than genuine admiration.
常見錯誤
2. to hold an overly positive opinion of your own qualities or achievements, often
to hold an overly positive opinion of your own qualities or achievements, often without evidence that others would accept
Mateo flattered himself that he could complete the marathon, but he gave up after ten kilometres.
flatter + oneself + that-clause for overconfidence
Yuki flattered herself that her Japanese was fluent, until a local gently corrected her pronunciation.
Dr. Chen flattered himself that the committee would accept his proposal without any changes.
"Do not flatter yourself — she was just being polite, not interested," said Klaus with a grin.
- delude oneself
stronger, implies self-deception rather than mere overestimation
- overestimate
less emotive, can be used for situations and quantities, not only self-belief
文法句型
flatter + oneself + that-clause
用法筆記
Nearly always used reflexively with 'oneself' — you cannot omit 'himself', 'herself', 'themselves', or 'myself'. The sense is often ironic, hinting that the belief is unrealistic.
常見錯誤
3. to create a false impression that something or someone is of higher quality or g
to create a false impression that something or someone is of higher quality or greater value than the facts would support
The team's early wins flattered their true ability — they lost the next ten matches.
flatter + noun describing deceptive performance
The company's quarterly report flattered its financial health by hiding several large debts.
Those online photos flatter the apartment; the kitchen is actually tiny and dark.
The 3-0 scoreline flattered the home side, who had only one shot on goal all evening.
- distort
can make things look better or worse; broader and more neutral
- gloss over
suggests hiding flaws rather than exaggerating merits
- understate
to represent something as less impressive than it actually is
文法句型
flatter + noun
用法筆記
Common with scores, statistics, photographs, and reports — anything that can give a misleadingly positive picture. The object is the thing being overrepresented.
常見錯誤
4. to experience a happy sense of pride when someone pays you attention, praises yo
to experience a happy sense of pride when someone pays you attention, praises you, or offers you something special
Fatima felt flattered when her professor asked her to co-author the research paper.
feel flattered + when-clause
Svetlana was flattered that the children remembered her birthday with a handmade card.
be flattered + that-clause
Amir felt flattered to be invited to speak at the international education conference.
Olu was flattered by a stranger's comment that he looked like a professional musician.
- offended
feeling hurt or insulted rather than pleased
文法句型
be flattered + by + noun
be flattered + to + infinitive
feel flattered + that-clause
用法筆記
This sense describes the genuine emotional state of feeling pleased and proud when someone praises or values you. For the conventional polite formula used when gracefully declining an offer or acknowledging an unexpected compliment (often with 'but' + refusal), see the idiom 'be/feel flattered'.
常見錯誤
5. to improve the visual appeal of a person, body part, or object so that they look
to improve the visual appeal of a person, body part, or object so that they look better than usual
The long blue dress flattered Mei-Lin's figure and made her look taller and slimmer.
clothing flatters body parts
Soft yellow lighting flattered the old wooden furniture in the living room.
"That haircut does not flatter your face — it makes your cheeks look rounder," said Sofia honestly.
A simple black frame flattered the painting more than the heavy gold one did.
- suit
more general — can describe compatibility (colours, styles, moods) beyond appearance
- complement
suggests two things enhance each other, not one-sided improvement
- unflattering
adjective form meaning 'making someone look unattractive'
文法句型
flatter + noun
用法筆記
The subject is typically clothing, lighting, colours, hairstyles, or frames — not a person. Unlike sense 1, this sense carries no implication of insincerity; the improvement in appearance is genuine.
常見錯誤
flatter — noun
1. a handheld tool, such as a hammer with a broad flat face, used to beat or press
a handheld tool, such as a hammer with a broad flat face, used to beat or press metal or other materials into a flat shape
The blacksmith picked up his flatter and struck the hot iron with a single firm blow.
Jewellers use a small flatter to smooth gold rings after soldering them together.
specialist tool in jewellery
Tomás kept a flatter in his tool belt for shaping copper sheets on the workbench.
- planishing hammer
a specific type of flatter used for smoothing metal surfaces
用法筆記
Not to be confused with 'flatterer' (a person who flatters). This noun is a technical term used mainly in metalworking and jewellery-making contexts, and is unrelated to the verb senses in origin.