flatter

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. v. To compliment excessively and often insincerely, especially in order to win favor.
2. v. To please or gratify the vanity of: "What really flatters a man is that you think him worth flattering” ( George Bernard Shaw).
3. v. To portray favorably: a photograph that flatters its subject.
4. v. To show off becomingly or advantageously.
5. v. To practice flattery.
6. n. A flat-faced swage or hammer used by blacksmiths.
7. n. A die plate for flattening metal into strips, as in the manufacture of watch springs.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. One who or that which flattens or makes flat.
2. n. Specifically A hammer with a broad face, used by smiths in working flat faces.
3. n. In wire-drawing, a draw-plate with a flat orifice for drawing flat strips, as for watch-springs, skirt-wire, etc.
4. n. Also flattener.
5. To please or gratify, or seek to please or gratify, by praise, especially undue praise, or by obsequious attentions, submission, imitation, etc.; play upon the vanity or self-love of (a person) with a view to gain some advantage.
6. To produce self-complacency or a feeling of personal gratification in; please; charm: as, to feel flattered by approval.
7. To persuade of something which gives pleasure or satisfaction; give encouragement to; especially, to give pleasing but false impressions or encouragement to.
8. To make appear better than the reality warrants: as, the portrait flatters its subject. Synonyms To compliment; cajole, court, coddle, fawn upon, curry favor with. See comparison under adulation.
9. To use language intended to gratify the vanity or self-love of a person; use undue praise.
10. To flutter; float.

Wiktionary

1. adj. comparative form of flat: more flat
2. n. A type of set tool used by blacksmiths.
3. n. Someone who flattens, purposely or accidently. Also flattener.
4. v. To compliment someone, often insincerely and sometimes to win favour
5. v. To enhance someone's vanity by praising them
6. v. To portray something to advantage.
7. v. To convey notions of the facts that are believed to be favorable to the hearer without certainty of the truthfulness of the notions conveyed.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. One who, or that which, makes flat or flattens.
2. n. A flat-faced fulling hammer.
3. n. A drawplate with a narrow, rectangular orifice, for drawing flat strips, as watch springs, etc.
4. v. 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.
5. v. To raise hopes in; to encourage or favorable, but sometimes unfounded or deceitful, representations.
6. v. To portray too favorably; to give a too favorable idea of.
7. v. To use flattery or insincere praise.

WordNet 3.0

1. v. praise somewhat dishonestly