noun
definition
Excessive praise or approval, which is often insincere and sometimes contrived to win favour.
definition
An instance of excessive praise.
Examples of flattery in a Sentence
In the face of such flattery, how could I resist?
If the days were filled with flattery, the nights were filled with emptiness.
Hoadly, being not unskilled in the art of flattery, was translated in 1721 to the see of Hereford, in 1723 to Salisbury and in 1734 to Winchester.
He does flow over the top with flattery.
Judicious flattery secured him the consulship under Caligula (39); and under Nero he was superintendent of the water supply.
Jane uses flattery to persuade Victor to speak to Ian for her.
Don't let flattery persuade you to stay, but consider the offer seriously - does it overcome your reasons for leaving?
Use all your imagination to overcome the difficulties, act by service, flattery or even brute force.
It tended to destroy the power of self-command, and exposed the master to the baneful influences of flattery.
This instrument takes flattery to new heights of imitation.
Maybe Sam was merely being spontaneous or maybe her intent was flattery.
Was he mocking her, or did he think she was naive enough to believe his outrageous flattery?
Under the new settlement Athens remained a free and sovereign city - a boon which she repaid by zealous Caesar-worship, for the favours bestowed upon her tended to pauperize her citizens and to foster their besetting sin of calculating flattery.
In the familia urbana the favourites of the master had good treatment, and might exercise some influence over him which would lead to their receiving flattery and gifts from those who sought his vote or solicited his support.
The best quality, formed from the middle and broadest strips of the plant, was originally named hieratica, but afterwards, in flattery of the emperor Augustus, it was called, after him, Augusta; and the charta Livia, or second quality, was so named in honour of his wife.
Godoy in his memoirs asserts that Escoiquiz sought to gain his favour by flattery.
Voltaire and the encyclopaedists with whom she corresponded, and on whom she conferred gifts and pensions, repaid her by the grossest flattery, while doing their best to profit by her generosity.
The flattery heaped upon Ptolemy is somewhat nauseous.
An ardent patriot and republican, her relations with Danton resembled those of Marie Antoinette with Mirabeau, in each case a woman spoilt by flattery, enraged at indifference.
Embarrassing, insincere, formulaic flattery makes God mellow.
He doesn't strike me or anyone as the sort of character who can be swayed by mere flattery.
He was able to offer Rattray quote sincere flattery.
As soon as he heard my name he began speaking to me in a tone of the most delicate flattery.
Well, however, he consented with a little flattery.
Is such disingenuous flattery really going to boost Anglo-Scottish tourism?
Whatever part vanity or the flattery of courtiers may have played with others, or with Alexander, it is significant that the dynasties of Alexander's various successors all claim divine honours of some sort (see Ptolemies, Seleucid Dynasty, &c.).
Innocent was genial, skilled in flattery, and popular with the Romans, but he lacked talent and relied on the stronger will of Cardinal della Rovere, afterwards Julius II.
They were, moreover, a race skilful in flattery, given to the study of eloquence, so that the very boys were orators, a race altogether unbridled unless held firmly down by the yoke of justice.
Doubtless in the poems of writers like Martial this deification was nothing but fulsome flattery, but in the case of the provincials it was a sincere tribute to the impersonation of the Roman Empire, as the administrator of good government and the peacemaker of the world.
Her democracy was respected by the Macedonian kings; the rulers of Egypt, Syria, and especially of Pergamum, courted her favour by handsome donations of edifices and works of art, to which the citizens replied by unbecoming flattery, even to the extent of creating new tribes named after their benefactors.
Apart from these abuses the Spiritual Exercises have proved their value over and over again, and have received the sincerest form of flattery in countless imitations.
Among the educated Greeks rationalistic views of the old mythology had become so current that they could assimilate Alexander to Dionysus without supposing him to be supernatural, and to this temper the divine honours were a mere form, an elaborate sort of flattery.
This agrees with the character for flattery which the minister seems to have enjoyed.
His immense energy and versatility, his adroit and unhesitating flattery when he chose to flatter, his ruthless sarcasm when he chose to be sarcastic, his rather unscrupulous business faculty, his more than rather unscrupulous resolve to double and twist in any fashion so as to escape his enemies, - all these things appear throughout the whole mass of letters.
No doubt, you've heard the saying, "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery."
For many ardent sports fans, the imitation of wearing the same brand of shades may be the ultimate form of flattery.
Dancers share their work to motivate and bring art to the world, and at times, imitation truly is the greatest form of flattery.
While most people tend to focus their energy on a pregnant woman, the husband or partner of an expectant mother can also use some attention, flattery, and spoiling with gifts.
With a V-neckline, underwire and scoop back, it's built for flattery.
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right?
While these might not be the easiest looks for figure flattery, you can push the envelope with specific body-friendly additions that help complement your frame.
The scammers will use tricks, gifts and psychological flattery to court and establish a relationship.
Flattery works best when you are really appreciating a girl.
The Leo's love of flattery and the Gemini's quick wit and good nature also make for a good conversation.
His appeal is magnetic, and people succumb quite willingly to his talents of flattery and flirting.
Rather a relationship of that nature--even if it's innocuous--is hidden from public view.In France, flirting and flattery is commonplace and is often done without the sexual undertones that you might find in the United States.
Simply garnering the attention or flattery of a man doesn't necessarily mean that he wants to go home with you.
That the emperor had an honest and soldierly satisfaction in his own well-doing is clear; but if he had had anything like the vanity of a Domitian, the senate, ever eager to outrun a ruler's taste for flattery, would never have kept within such moderate bounds.
If not written at the command of Justinian (as some have supposed), it is evidently grounded on official information, and is full of gross flattery of the emperor and of the (then deceased) empress.
His tastes were of the simplest; and while scholars like Filelfo were intent on extracting money from their patrons by flattery and threats, he remained so poor that he owed the publication of all his many works to private munificence.