# flattery

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈflæt.ə.ɹi/ · frequency rank #30,423

## Definitions
1. Excessive praise or approval, which is often insincere and sometimes contrived to win favour.
2. An instance of excessive praise.

## Etymology
From Middle English flaterye, flaterie, from Old French flaterie, from the verb flater (“to flatter”). By surface analysis, flatter + -y (forming abstract nouns).

## Easily confused with
- **flutter** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flattery-vs-flutter)
- **fatter** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fatter-vs-flattery)
- **flatter** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flatter-vs-flattery)
- **flatten** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flatten-vs-flattery)
- **Flannery** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flannery-vs-flattery)

## Common misspellings (11)
`falttery`, `fflattery`, `flatery`, `flatetry`, `flatterry`, `flatteryy`, `flatteyr`, `flattrey`, `fllattery`, `fltatery`, `lfattery`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/flattery