different between flatter vs please

English

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?flæt?/, [?flæ??]
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?flæt?/
• Rhymes: -æt?(?)
• Hyphenation: flat?ter

Etymology 1

flat +? -er

Adjective

flatter

1. comparative form of flat: more flat

Etymology 2

• From Middle English flatteren, flateren (“to flutter, float, fawn over”), probably a conflation of Old English floterian, flotorian (“to flutter, float, be disquieted”), from Proto-Germanic *flutr?n? (“to be floating”), from Proto-Indo-European *plewd- (“to flow, swim”); and Old Norse flaðra (“to fawn on someone, flatter”), from Proto-Germanic *flaþr?n? (“to fawn over, flutter”), from Proto-Indo-European *peled- (“moisture, wetness”), *pel- (“to gush, pour out, fill, flow, swim, fly”). Cognate with Scots flatter, flotter (“to float; splash; cover with liquid”), Middle Dutch flatteren (“to embellish, flatter, caress”), German flattern (“to flutter”).
• The word was also associated with Middle French flatter (“to flatter, to caress with the flat of the hand”), from Old French flater (“to deceive by concealing the truth, to stroke with the palm of the hand”), from Frankish *flat (“palm, flat of the hand”), from Proto-Germanic *flat?, *flat? (“palm, sole”), *flataz (“flat”), from Proto-Indo-European *plÁt-, *pele-, *pl?k- (“flat, broad, plain”); related to Old High German flazza (“palm, flat of the hand”), Old High German flaz (“level, flat”), Old Saxon flat (“flat”), Old Norse flatr (“flat”) (whence English flat), Old Frisian flet, flette (“dwelling, house”), Old English flet, flett (“ground floor, dwelling”). More at flat.

Verb

flatter (third-person singular simple present flatters, present participle flattering, simple past and past participle flattered) (transitive, intransitive)

1. To compliment someone, often insincerely and sometimes to win favour.
   • 1611, King James Version of the Bible, Proverbs 29:5,^[1]

     A man that flattereth his neighbour spreadeth a net for his feet.

   • 1855, William H. Prescott, History of the Reign of Philip the Second, King of Spain, Boston: Phillips, Sampson & Co., Volume 1, Book 1, Chapter 7, p. 242,^[2]

     Some he complimented for their bravery; others he flattered by asking their advice.

2. To enhance someone's vanity by praising them.
3. To portray someone to advantage.

   Her portrait flatters her.

   • c. 1594, William Shakespeare, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Act IV, Scene 4,^[3]

     Here is her picture: let me see; I think,

     If I had such a tire, this face of mine

     Were full as lovely as is this of hers:

     And yet the painter flatter’d her a little […]

4. To encourage or cheer someone with (usually false) hope.
   • 1593, William Shakespeare, Venus and Adonis,^[4]

     The dire imagination she did follow

     This sound of hope doth labour to expel;

     For now reviving joy bids her rejoice,

     And flatters her it is Adonis’ voice.

   • 1743, Robert Drury, The Pleasant, and Surprizing Adventures of Mr. Robert Drury, during his Fifteen Years Captivity on the Island of Madagascar, London, p. 9,^[5]

     […] I went up, and sat there two Hours and an half before I cou’d discern any Thing like Land; and when I first saw it I told my Comrade, but not being certain I wou’d not call out; for the Case was of such Importance, that they were not to be trifled with, or flatter’d into vain Hopes.

Related terms

• flattery
• flatterer
• flattering
• unflattering

Translations

Etymology 3

From flat (“to make flat, flatten”) +? -er (agent suffix).

Noun

flatter (plural flatters)

1. A type of set tool used by blacksmiths.
2. A flat-faced fulling hammer.
3. A drawplate with a narrow, rectangular orifice, for drawing flat strips such as watch springs.
4. Someone who flattens, purposely or accidently. Also flattener.

Translations

Etymology 4

From flat (“dwelling, apartment”) +? -er (residency suffix).

Noun

flatter (plural flatters)

1. (Britain, New Zealand, slang) Someone who lives in a rented flat.

French

Etymology

From Middle French flatter (“to flatter, to caress with the flat of the hand”), from Old French flater (“to deceive by concealing the truth, to stroke with the palm of the hand”), from Frankish *flat (“palm, flat of the hand”), from Proto-Germanic *flat?, *flat? (“palm, sole”), *flataz (“flat”), from Proto-Indo-European *plÁt-, *pele-, *plet-, *pl?k- (“flat, broad, plain”). Cognate with Old High German flazza (“palm, flat of the hand”), Old High German flaz (“level, flat”), Old Saxon flat (“flat”), Old Norse flatr (“flat”) (whence English flat), Old Frisian flet, flette (“dwelling, house”), Old English flet, flett (“ground floor, dwelling”). More at flat, flétrir.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fla.te/

Verb

flatter

1. to flatter
2. to pet, to caress

Conjugation

Derived terms

• flatterie
• flatteur

Further reading

• “flatter” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

German

Pronunciation

Verb

flatter

1. inflection of flattern:
   1. first-person singular present
   2. singular imperative

Middle French

Verb

flatter

1. to flatter

Conjugation

• Middle French conjugation varies from one text to another. Hence, the following conjugation should be considered as typical, not as exhaustive.

Westrobothnian

Noun

flatter

1. One who laughs a lot, giving in to children.
2. Semi-liquid pulp.

Related terms

• flattär
• flittär
• flitter

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /pli?z/, [pl??iz]
• (General American) enPR: pl?z, IPA^(key): /pliz/, [p??iz]
• Rhymes: -i?z
• Homophone: pleas

Etymology 1

From Middle English plesen, plaisen, borrowed from Old French plaise, conjugated form of plaisir or plaire, from Latin plac?re (“to please, to seem good”), from the Proto-Indo-European *pl?-k- (“wide and flat”). Displaced native English queme (“to please, satisfy”), from Middle English quemen, queamen (“to please”) (from Old English cw?man (“to please”)), Middle English biluvien (“to please, delight”) (from Middle English bi-, be- + luvien (“to love”)), Middle English liken (“to like, please”) (from Old English l?cian (“to please, be like”)), Middle English lusten, listen (“to be pleasing, delight”) (from Old English lystan (“to please”)).

Alternative forms

• pleace (used from the Middle English period up to the 15th century, and in Scots until the 17th century)

Verb

please (third-person singular simple present pleases, present participle pleasing, simple past and past participle pleased)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To make happy or satisfy; to give pleasure to.
2. (intransitive, ergative) To desire; to will; to be pleased by.

Synonyms

• (to make happy): satisfy
• (to desire): desire, will

Antonyms

• (to make happy): annoy, irritate, disgust, displease

Derived terms

• pleaser
• pleasing
• pleasy

Related terms

• pleasant
• pleasurable
• pleasure

Translations

Etymology 2

Short for if you please, an intransitive, ergative form taken from if it pleases you which is a calque of French s'il vous plaît, which replaced pray.

Alternative forms

• (for the exaggerated way it is often pronounced as the expression of annoyance) puh-lease

Adverb

please (not comparable)

1. Used to make a polite request.

2. Used as an affirmative to an offer.

3. An expression of annoyance or impatience.

Derived terms

• please explain
• pretty please

Descendants

• ? Bengali: ????? (plij), ????? (plij)
• ? Hindi: ?????? (pl?z) (urban, colloquial)
• ? Urdu: ????? (pl?z) (urban, colloquial)

Translations

Etymology 3

Semantic loan from German bitte (“please; excuse me”).

Adverb

please (not comparable)

1. (Cincinnati) Said as a request to repeat information.

Synonyms

• (request to repeat): what, excuse me, pardon me, come again; see also Thesaurus:say again

References

Anagrams

• Sapele, asleep, elapse, sapele