Definition of the word flatter

flat•ter¹ /ˈflætɚ/USA pronunciation  
v. 

1. to praise or compliment insincerely or excessively: [~ + object]He always flatters her by constantly praising her looks.
2. to please or gratify by compliments or attentions:[~ + object* usually: be + ~-ed]I was flattered by the invitation.
3. to represent or show favorably, esp. too favorably:[~ + object]The portrait flatters her.
4. to feel satisfaction with (oneself ), sometimes mistakenly:[~ + oneself + that clause]He flattered himself that the speech had gone well.

flat•ter•ing, adj. 

flat•ter¹ 
(flat′ər),USA pronunciation v.t. 

1. to try to please by complimentary remarks or attention.
2. to praise or compliment insincerely, effusively, or excessively:She flatters him by constantly praising his books.
3. to represent favorably;
   gratify by falsification:The portrait flatters her.
4. to show to advantage:a hairstyle that flatters the face.
5. to play upon the vanity or susceptibilities of;
   cajole, wheedle, or beguile:They flattered him into contributing heavily to the foundation.
6. to please or gratify by compliments or attentions:I was flattered by their invitation.
7. to feel satisfaction with (oneself ), esp. with reference to an accomplishment, act, or occasion:He flattered himself that the dinner had gone well.
8. to beguile with hope;
   encourage prematurely, falsely, etc.

v.i.

1. to use flattery.

flat′ter•a•ble, adj. 
flat′ter•er, n. 
flat′ter•ing•ly, adv. 

flat•ter² 
(flat′ər),USA pronunciation n. 

1. a person or thing that makes something flat.
2. a flat-faced blacksmith’s tool, laid on a forging and struck with a hammer to smooth the surface of the forging.
3. a drawplate with a flat orifice for drawing flat metal strips, as for watch springs.

flatter /ˈflætə/ vb

1. to praise insincerely, esp in order to win favour or reward
2. to show to advantage: that dress flatters her
3. (transitive) to make to appear more attractive, etc, than in reality
4. to play upon or gratify the vanity of (a person)
5. (transitive) to beguile with hope; encourage, esp falsely
6. (transitive) to congratulate or deceive (oneself): I flatter myself that I am the best

Etymology: 13th Century: probably from Old French flater to lick, fawn upon, of Frankish origin

ˈflatterable adj ˈflatterer n

flat¹ /flæt/USA pronunciation  
adj., flat•ter, flat•test, adv., n. 
adj.

1. horizontally level:flat, white roofs on the houses of the Greek town.
2. level, even, or smooth in surface, such as land or tabletops:the flat prairie.
3. lying horizontally and at full length:flat on the floor.
4. not deep, high, or thick:stacks of flat boxes at the pizzeria.
5. spread out, as an unrolled map or the open hand:The map was flat on the table.
6. with the air out;
   deflated;
   collapsed:a flat tire.
7. absolute;
   downright;
   complete;
   definite:[before a noun]issued a flat denial of the charges.
8. without the possibility of change or variation;
   fixed:[before a noun]The hotel charged a flat rate.
9. lacking vitality or animation:a flat play.
10. (of a carbonated beverage) having lost its bubbles:The soda is flat.
11. pointless, as a remark or joke:a flat joke.
12. (of paint) without gloss;
    not shiny;
    matte.
13. lacking variation in pitch;
    monotonous:answered in a flat, bored voice.
14. Music and Dance
    • [after a letter indicating tone] (of a tone) lowered a half step in pitch:B flat.
    • below an intended pitch, such as a note;
      too low (opposed to sharp):The chorus was a little flat on that last song.

adv.

1. in a flat position;
   horizontally;
   levelly:The trees had been laid flat by the hurricane.
2. completely;
   utterly:flat broke until payday.
3. exactly;
   precisely:[after a measurement of time]I got there in two minutes flat.
4. Music and Dancebelow the true pitch:to sing flat.

n. [countable]

1. Clothinga woman’s shoe with a very low heel or no heel.
2. a flat surface, side, or part of anything:She held the stone in the flat of her hand.
3. flat or level ground:salt flats.
4. Music and Dance
   • (in musical notation) the character ♭, which indicates that the pitch of a note is lowered by one half step.
   • a tone that is one half step below another.

5. an automobile tire that has lost the air.

Idioms

1. Idioms fall flat, [no object] to fail completely and noticeably:an attempt at humor that fell flat.
2. Idioms flat out, [Informal.]
   • without hesitation;
     directly or openly:The spy told us flat out he had been a double agent.
   • at full speed or with maximum effort:We drove flat out to get there by afternoon.

flat•ly, adv. 
flat•ness, n. [uncountable]

flat² /flæt/USA pronunciation  
n. [countable]

1. British Termsa residential apartment:rented a flat in the city.

-flat-, root.

1. -flat- comes from Latin, where it has the meaning «blow;
   wind.» This meaning is found in such words as: deflate, inflate.

flat¹ 
(flat),USA pronunciation adj., flat•ter, flat•test, n., v., flat•ted, flat•ting, adv. 
adj.

1. horizontally level:a flat roof.
2. level, even, or without unevenness of surface, as land or tabletops.
3. having a surface that is without marked projections or depressions:a broad, flat face.
4. lying horizontally and at full length, as a person;
   prostrate:He was flat on the canvas after the knockdown.
5. lying wholly on or against something:The banner was flat against the wall.
6. thrown down, laid low, or level with the ground, as fallen trees or buildings.
7. having a generally level shape or appearance;
   not deep or thick:a flat plate.
8. (of the heel of a shoe) low and broad.
9. spread out, as an unrolled map or the open hand.
10. deflated;
    collapsed:a flat tire.
11. absolute, downright, or positive;
    without qualification:a flat denial.
12. without modification or variation:a flat rate.
13. [Informal.]lacking money;
    broke.
14. without vitality or animation;
    lifeless;
    dull:flat writing.
15. having lost its flavor, sharpness, or life, as wine or food;
    stale.
16. (of a beverage) having lost its effervescence.
17. without flavor;
    not spiced:flat cooking.
18. prosaic, banal, or insipid:a flat style.
19. pointless, as a remark or joke.
20. commercially inactive:a flat day in the stock market.
21. (of a painting) not having the illusion of volume or depth.
22. (of a photograph or painting) lacking contrast or gradations of tone or color.
23. (of paint) without gloss;
    not shiny;
    mat.
24. not clear, sharp, or ringing, as sound or a voice.
25. lacking resonance and variation in pitch;
    monotonous:a flat delivery of the speech.
26. [Music.]
    • (of a tone) lowered a half step in pitch:B flat.
    • below an intended pitch, as a note;
      too low (opposed to sharp).

27. [Gram.]derived without change in form, as English to brush from the noun brush and adverbs that do not add -ly to the adjective form as fast, cheap, and slow.
28. [Phonet.]lenis;
    voiced.
29. [Naut.](of a sail)
    • cut with little or no fullness.
    • trimmed as nearly fore-and-aft as possible, for sailing to windward.

30. flat a, the a-sound (a) of glad, bat, or act.
31. flat aft, [Naut.]trimmed so that fore-and-aft sails present as flat a surface as possible, as in sailing close to the wind.
32. flat on one’s back. See back (def. 19).

n.

1. something flat.
2. a shoe, esp. a woman’s shoe, with a flat heel or no heel.
3. a flat surface, side, or part of anything:He struck me with the flat of his hand.
4. flat or level ground;
   a flat area:salt flats.
5. a marsh, shoal, or shallow.
6. [Music.]
   • (in musical notation) the character ♭, which when attached to a note or to a staff degree lowers its significance one chromatic half step.
   • a tone one chromatic half step below another:The flat of B is B flat.
   • (on keyboard instruments, with reference to any given note) the key next below or to the left.

7. [Theat.]a piece of scenery consisting of a wooden frame, usually rectangular, covered with lightweight board or fabric.
8. a broad, thin book, chiefly for children:a juvenile flat.
9. [Informal.]a deflated automobile tire.
10. (in postal use) a large flat package, as in a manila envelope, for mailing.
11. [Archit.]a flat roof or deck.
12. [Naut.]
    • Also called platform. a partial deck between two full decks.
    • a low, flat barge or lighter.

13. [Shipbuilding.]
    • a broad, flat piece of iron or steel for overlapping and joining two plates at their edges.
    • a straight timber in a frame or other assembly of generally curved timbers.

14. an iron or steel bar of rectangular cross section.
15. [Textiles.]one of a series of laths covered with card clothing, used in conjunction with the cylinder in carding.
16. [Photog.]one or more negatives or positives in position to be reproduced.
17. [Print.]a device for holding a negative or positive flat for reproduction by photoengraving.
18. [Hort.]a shallow, lidless box or tray used for rooting seeds and cuttings and for growing young plants.
19. a similar box used for shipping and selling fruits and vegetables.
20. [Football.]the area of the field immediately inside of or outside of an offensive end, close behind or at the line of scrimmage.
21. flats, [Informal.]flat races between horses. Cf. flat race.

v.t.

1. to make flat.
2. [Music.]to lower (a pitch), esp. one half step.

v.i.

1. to become flat.
2. flat in, [Naut.]to pull the clew of (a fore-and-aft sail) as nearly amidships as possible. Also, flatten in. 

adv.

1. in a flat position;
   horizontally;
   levelly.
2. in a flat manner;
   positively;
   absolutely.
3. completely;
   utterly:flat broke.
4. exactly;
   precisely:She ran around the track in two minutes flat.
5. [Music.]below the true pitch:to sing flat.
6. Stock Exchange[Finance.]without interest.
7. fall flat, to fail to produce the desired effect;
   fail completely:His attempts at humor fell flat.
8. flat out, [Informal.]
   • without hesitation;
     directly or openly:He told us flat out he’d been a double agent.
   • at full speed or with maximum effort.

flat′ly, adv. 
flat′ness, n. 

• 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged plane. See level. 
• 4.See corresponding entry in Unabridged low, prone.
• 11.See corresponding entry in Unabridged outright, peremptory, categorical.
• 14.See corresponding entry in Unabridged boring, spiritless, prosaic.
• 17.See corresponding entry in Unabridged vapid, unsavory.

• 1, 4.See corresponding entry in Unabridged upright, vertical.
• 14.See corresponding entry in Unabridged spirited.
• 17.See corresponding entry in Unabridged savory.

flat² 
(flat),USA pronunciation n. 

1. British Terms[Chiefly Brit.]an apartment or suite of rooms on one floor forming a residence.

flat /flæt/ n

1. a set of rooms comprising a residence entirely on one floor of a building
   Usual US and Canadian name: apartment

vb (flats, flatting, flatted)(intransitive)

1. Austral NZ to live in a flat (with someone)

Etymology: Old English flett floor, hall, house; related to flat¹