buttered up
Laid it thick
To butter someone up is to flatter them, usually to gain favor or get something you want.
The image is of spreading butter generously—making things smooth and agreeable: He buttered up the boss before asking for a raise.
Someone who has been buttered up has received this treatment.
- flatteredPleased by compliments
- kissed up toFlattered for advantage
- complimentWords expressing approval
- ingratiatedWon favor through flattery
- cajoleryFlattery meant to persuade
apple-polishing · sweet-talked · laid it on thick · charmed · sycophancy · unctuous · bootlicking · soft-soap · toadying · blandishments · fawn over · praise · schmoozing · greased · oleaginous · persuaded · adulation · coaxing
- fawnedgroveled, kowtowed, toadied, flattered, curried favor
buttered upput down
Insulting remark meant to diminish
criticized · berated · dressed down · chewed out · lambasted
buttered upalienated
Made distant or hostile
antagonized · offended · slighted · snubbed · cold-shouldered
butter, buttery, buttered, buttering, butters, butterfingers, butterball, bittern, butterbean