How to say "flatter" in Japanese

• おだてるJLPT N1approx.Common
  ichidan verb, transitive verbCovers flattering in the sense of cajoling or soft-soaping someone to get what you want. The nuance is coaxing through insincere sweet talk, typically when someone is being worked over for a favor.
  まず彼かれをおだてておいたほうがいいですよ。↗

  You had better try buttering him up first.
• 持ち上げるもちあげるJLPT N3approx.Common
  ichidan verb, transitive verbCovers flattering that amounts to praising someone to the sky. The nuance is extolling a person, often so effusively that the praise feels like ingratiation rather than genuine assessment.
• くすぐるCommon
  godan verb, transitive verbPrimarily means to tickle or to arouse, as in tickling someone's vanity or curiosity; the gloss 'to flatter' is marginal. For actually flattering a person, this is seldom the word you want.

Use 「おだてる」 for cajoling or soft-soaping someone, 「持ち上げる」 for praising someone to the skies, and 「くすぐる」 mainly for tickling or appealing to curiosity or vanity, with 'flatter' only marginal.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• おだてるto flatter
• 媚びるこびるto flatter
• 媚びへつらうこびへつらうto flatter
• おもねるto flatter
• へつらうto flatter
• お上手を言うおじょうずをいうto flatter
• ごまをするto flatter
• お世辞を言うおせじをいうto flatter
• へいこらto flatter
• ちやほやto make a fuss over
• 持ち上げるもちあげるto flatter
• 取り込むとりこむto win over
• くすぐるto tickle (one's curiosity, vanity, etc.)
• 祭り上げるまつりあげるto flatter
• 媚を売るこびをうるto flatter
• 尻尾を振るしっぽをふるto flatter
• 色目を使ういろめをつかうto ingratiate oneself
• あげるto praise