ingratiatingly
With excessive charm
In a manner meant to gain favor or approval, often through excessive flattery or eager agreeableness.
The word carries a note of calculation—the ingratiating person wants something: He laughed ingratiatingly at the boss's weak jokes.
The effect can seem sycophantic or transparently self-serving.
Excessive insincere flattery
- obsequiousServilely attentive to superiors
- servileExcessively submissive, lacking independence
- toadyingObsequious behavior seeking favor
- bootlickingServile flattery for advantage
grovelling · subservient · unctuous · cringing · slavish · deferential · kowtowing · smarmy
Free or expressing praise
- adulatoryShowing excessive admiration
- praisingVoicing admiration
- sweet-talkingPersuading through flattery
- blandishingCoaxing through flattery
laudatory · honeyed · smooth-tongued · silver-tongued · wheedling · cajoling · coaxing · simpering
Crafty and calculating
- calculatingColdly self-serving in strategy
- cunningSly, scheming cleverness
- insidiousSubtly destructive over time
- connivingSecretly planning wrongdoing
crafty · sly · guileful · artful · devious · strategic · exploitative · underhanded
In an attractive manner
- disarminglyIn an unexpectedly appealing manner
- engaginglyIn captivating manner
- pleasantlyIn an enjoyable manner
- amiablyIn a friendly manner
sweetly · affably · genially · warmly · endearingly · captivatingly · beguilingly · charmingly
fawning
Excessive insincere flattery
- obsequiousServilely attentive to superiors
- servileExcessively submissive, lacking independence
- toadyingObsequious behavior seeking favor
bootlicking · grovelling · subservient · unctuous · cringing · slavish · deferential · kowtowing · smarmy · oleaginous
complimentary
Free or expressing praise
- adulatoryShowing excessive admiration
- praisingVoicing admiration
- sweet-talkingPersuading through flattery
blandishing · laudatory · honeyed · smooth-tongued · silver-tongued · wheedling · cajoling · coaxing · simpering · gushing
scheming
Crafty and calculating
- calculatingColdly self-serving in strategy
- cunningSly, scheming cleverness
- insidiousSubtly destructive over time
conniving · crafty · sly · guileful · artful · devious · strategic · exploitative · underhanded · disingenuous
winningly
In an attractive manner
- disarminglyIn an unexpectedly appealing manner
- engaginglyIn captivating manner
- pleasantlyIn an enjoyable manner
amiably · sweetly · affably · genially · warmly · endearingly · captivatingly · beguilingly · charmingly · invitingly
ingratiatinglycoldly
Without emotional warmth
aloofly · dismissively · standoffishly · curtly · brusquely
ingratiatinglysincerely
With genuine feeling
genuinely · authentically · honestly · forthrightly · straightforwardly