flattering
adjective
flat·ter·ing
ˈfla-tər-iŋ 
1
: marked by flattery: such as
a
: showing or expressing gratifying respect or admiration
a flattering comparison
His colleagues might have disowned him, but they didn't receive flattering invitations to speak all over the country and to write for The New York Times.—
Richard Dawkins
Richard Dawkins
b
: excessively or insincerely complimentary
… a steady stream of ham actors, all of whom were welcomed with flattering speeches.—H. L. Mencken
H. L. Mencken2
: helping to enhance attractiveness
a necktie in a flattering color
… dictating the most flattering camera angles.—David Margolick
David MargolickThe gowns were indeed smashing: smart, sexy, eye-catching, and very, very flattering.—The New Yorker
The New Yorker
flatteringly
adverb
The so-called Generation X has been described by some—not flatteringly—as a scavenger culture that gathers music, art and fashions from recent past generations rather than creating its own.
—Steve Hochman
Steve Hochman
Her upper body is all besuited business—the black jacket, the white blouse reflecting flatteringly on the face, the understated silver choker and earrings, the burnished brown bob.
—Rebecca Mead
Rebecca Mead
Examples of flattering in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
By this measure, the Biden record is much less flattering.
—The Editors, National Review, 20 June 2024
On a more somber note, the Purple Rain team is also wrestling with parts of the Kid’s character that are far less flattering.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 20 June 2024
The pleated skirt and cinched waist make this a flattering option for any beach wedding.
—Genevieve Cepeda, Peoplemag, 19 June 2024
The inner drawstring on the skort lets the wearer control the fit and where the waist lays on their body, giving them the option to find the most flattering fit on themselves.
—Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 19 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for flattering 
The Editors, National Review, 20 June 2024
On a more somber note, the Purple Rain team is also wrestling with parts of the Kid’s character that are far less flattering.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 20 June 2024
The pleated skirt and cinched waist make this a flattering option for any beach wedding.
—Genevieve Cepeda, Peoplemag, 19 June 2024
The inner drawstring on the skort lets the wearer control the fit and where the waist lays on their body, giving them the option to find the most flattering fit on themselves.
—Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 19 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for flattering
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flattering.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near flattering
Cite this Entry
“Flattering.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flattering. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
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