Emily Dickinson Lexicon

FLAT'TER-ING, ppr.

1. Gratifying with praise; pleasing by applause; wheedling; coaxing.
2. adj. Pleasing to pride or vanity; gratifying to self-love; as, a flattering eulogy. The minister gives a flattering account of his reception at court.
3. Pleasing; favorable; encouraging hope. We have a flattering prospect of an abundant harvest. The symptoms of the disease are flattering.
4. Practicing adulation; uttering false praise; as, a flattering tongue.