Contents -AUTHOR INDEX -BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD

Mawson, C.O.S., ed. (1870–1938). Roget’s International Thesaurus. 1922.

Class VI. Words Relating to the Sentient and Moral Powers
Section IV. Moral Affections
2. Moral Sentiments

933. Flattery.

   NOUN:FLATTERY, adulation, gloze [rare]; blandishment [rare], blandiloquence; cajolery; fawning, wheedling &c. v.; captation, coquetry, obsequiousness, sycophancy, flunkeyism, toadyism, toadeating, tufthunting; snobbishness.
  incense, honeyed words, flummery, buncombe or bunkum [cant or slang]; blarney, butter, soft soap, soft sawder [all colloq.]; rose water.
  voice of the charmer, mouth honor; lip homage; euphemism; unctuousness &c. adj.
   VERB:FLATTER, praise to the skies, puff; wheedle, cajole, glaver [obs. or dial.], coax; fawn, – upon; humor, gloze [now rare], soothe, pet, coquet, slaver, butter [colloq.], jolly [slang or colloq.]; bespatter, beslubber, beplaster, beslaver; lay it on thick, overpraise; cog [obs.], collogue [obs. in this sense]; truckle to, pander or pandar to, pay court to; court; creep into the good graces of, curry favor with, hang on the sleeve of; fool to the top of one’s bent; lick the dust.
  lay the flattering unction to one’s soul, gild the pill, make things pleasant.
  overestimate [See Overestimation]; exaggerate [See Exaggeration].
   ADJECTIVE:FLATTERING &c. v.; adulatory; mealy-mouthed, honey-mouthed, honeyed, smooth, smooth-tongued; soapy [slang], oily, unctuous, blandiloquous, specious; fine-, fair- spoken; plausible, servile, sycophantic, fulsome; courtierly, courtierlike.
   ADVERB:ad captandum.
   QUOTATIONS:

1. For ne’er Was flattery lost on Poet’s ear.—Scott
2. Lay not that flattering unction to your soul.—Hamlet
3. Flatter and praise, commend, extol their graces.—Two Gentlemen
4. Our praises are our wages.—Winter’s Tale
5. The sweeter sound of woman’s praise.—Macaulay
6. And wrinkles, the d——d democrats, won’t flatter.—Byron