flatterer

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a person who gives excessive or insincere praise, usually to gain favor

   The ruler surrounded himself with flatterers who never challenged his decisions.

From Middle English flaterere, formed from flatter + the agent suffix -er. Flatter itself is of uncertain origin, probably through Old French; from its early uses it could mean pleasing someone with praise as well as smoothing or caressing.

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