Definition

1. Noun:
   • A person who uses flattery: An adulator is someone who praises others excessively and insincerely, typically to gain favor or advantage.

Usage

• The word "adulator" is a formal noun used to describe a person whose behavior is characterized by adulation. It carries a negative connotation, implying that the praise is self-serving and not genuine.
• It is typically used in written or formal spoken English to critique sycophantic behavior.

Examples

• The king was surrounded by adulators who told him only what he wanted to hear.
• She saw through the compliments of the office adulator, recognizing them as mere attempts to win promotion.
• In his memoir, the politician lamented the adulators who had isolated him from reality.

Advanced Usage

• "A court of adulators": A group of people who constantly flatter a person in power.
  • The CEO, isolated by a court of adulators, failed to see the company's impending crisis.
• The related verb is "adulate" (to praise or admire excessively or slavishly).
  • The fans adulated the celebrity, following her every move.

Variants and Related Words

• Adulation (n): Excessive admiration or praise.
  • The actor was uncomfortable with the public's adulation.
• Adulatory (adj): Expressing excessive praise or admiration.
  • He dismissed the review as adulatory and lacking critical insight.

Synonyms

• Flatterer: A person who lavishes insincere praise.
• Sycophant: A person who acts obsequiously toward someone important to gain advantage.
• Toady: A person who behaves obsequiously to gain favor.

Antonyms

• Critic: A person who expresses disapproval or analyzes faults.
• Detractor: A person who disparages or belittles the worth of someone.

Idioms and Phrases

• While there is no common idiom using the exact word "adulator," the concept is central to the idiom "flattery will get you nowhere," which is said to indicate that insincere praise is ineffective. The behavior of an adulator is the target of this saying.

Noun

1. a person who uses flattery