We come across people of various natures, but the most dangerous one is the flatterer. They act as a parasite; slowly and steadily bringing you down by sucking up the reality quotient and filling your mind with words that you want to listen to. These people around you will praise every decision you make, they tell you how smart you are, how wise you are, how brave you are, how funny you sound, what a nice suit you’re wearing today. These are the flatterers, the sycophants, the smooth talkers. They deceive you with lush words that make you feel good. And for the most part, it works. Who doesn’t want to bask in the adoration of others?

Aristotle quotes,” A flatter is a friend who is your inferior or pretends to be so.”Don’t start counting your friend who praises you. There is a subtle difference between appreciation and flattery let's discuss this in depth. Buck up your energy levels because you are going to segregate your friend list into two: friends and flatters. By this time you know our pick-up line:

All the party people, let’s get startedddddd…….!!!!

Flatterer

Meaning: A person who lavishes praise, often insincerely.

Being a lady of strong virtue, she does not allow flatterers to deceive him.

I cannot blame him totally as he doesn’t know the actual reality. He was surrounded by flatterers and bootlickers.

Hanger-on

Meaning: One that hangs around a person, place, or institution, especially for personal gain.

The movement you left this position all your so-called friends will leave you. She walked away leaving him to think about the hanger-on in his life.

Toady

Meaning: One who flatters in the hope of gaining favors.

She was anxious as his work was incomplete and will not be able to present the work in front of clients so she imagined toadying to his clients.

No one liked the office toady, who spent most of her time complimenting the boss on what a great job he was doing.

Lickspittle

Meaning: a fawning subordinate.

John in a sarcastic tone said that we don’t need to act in a subservient manner as Romona was doing her job of lickspittling very well.

Obsequious

Meaning: obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree.

The couple was pleased by the service provided by the obsequious waiters.

A person who seeks and desires rank must be obsequious and use flattery as powerful men and rulers require. Otherwise, it will be impossible for him to attain any rank.

Ingratiating

Meaning: intended or adopted in order to gain favor; capable of winning favor; sycophantic.

Vikram submit his assignment and waited in front of the teacher in an ingratiating manner as if want permission to leave or thumbs-up for his work.

Her ingratiating smile can even change the veto power of the Board of members.

Unctuous

Meaning: excessively flattering or ingratiating; oily.

His hard work speaks for him so he doesn’t have to act in an unctuous way to get a promotion.

Oleaginous

Meaning: exaggeratedly and distastefully complimentary; obsequious.

To get the job, he gives an oleaginous reply praising company fundamentals and policies.

In front of corporate dignitaries, the manager of the sudden pitch into his oleaginous behavior which flummoxed everyone in the office.