English–French

“butter up” in French

French

Pronunciation

IPA/flate/

Example

Il me flatte toujours.

He always butters me up.

Illustration for flatter (butter up)

How to say “butter up” in French

“Butter up” in French is flatter.

A layer of pleasing words placed on someone to win a favorable response, whether the praise is sincere or not.

Full entry for flatter: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with flatter

Elle aime flatter les gens pour obtenir des faveurs.

She likes to flatter people to get favors.

Tips for using flatter

  • Flatter takes a direct object in French, as in flatter quelqu'un, while se flatter de means to take pride in or claim something.

“butter up” in other languages