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buttering up

NOUN

compliment

Synonyms

STRONGEST

admiration adulation applause blessing commendation courtesy endorsement homage ovation tribute

STRONG

acclaim acclamation appreciation approval bouquet cajolery comp confirmation congratulations encomium eulogy favor felicitation honor laud laurels notice orchid panegyric posy regard respects sanction sentiment veneration

WEAK

good word kudo laudation pat on the back warm fuzzy

Antonyms

STRONGEST

blame censure criticism disapproval disregard silence

STRONG

condemnation disfavor dislike disrespect ignorance neglect opposition refusal veto

WEAK

complaint denunciation insult libel slander

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Besides, Colby has long displayed a knack for buttering up his superiors.

From Slate • Jul. 8, 2025

The dinner service for the banquet dates back to George IV - and the motives, buttering up visiting dignitaries, are even older.

From BBC • Nov. 21, 2022

The series opens with an epigraph from Nietzsche—“Without music, life would be a mistake”—and soon finds Cornelius buttering up his talent with monumental slabs of creamy fat.

From The New Yorker • Feb. 5, 2019

Mall operators are responding in part by upgrading their food game and buttering up desirable restaurateurs with the favorable rent and other concessions that used to go to department stores.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 26, 2017

As soon as she saw the way the cards were falling, she started buttering up to me.

From The Common Man by Schelling, George Luther

buttering up

Example Sentences

Related Words