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adulate

The definition of adulate means to lavishly flatter.

(verb)

To kiss up to someone and gush on and on about how beautiful, smart, funny and delightful he is is an example of adulate.

See adulate in Webster's New World College Dictionary

transitive verb adulated, adulating

to praise too highly or flatter servilely
to admire intensely or excessively

Origin: < L adulatus, pp. of adulari, to fawn upon, orig., to wag the tail < ad-, to + *ūlos, tail < IE *ūlo < base *wel- > walk: cf. wheedle

Related Forms:

adulation noun
adulator noun
adulatory adjective

See adulate in American Heritage Dictionary 4

transitive verb ad·u·lat·ed, ad·u·lat·ing, ad·u·lates

To praise or admire excessively; fawn on.

Origin:

Origin: Back-formation from adulation

Related Forms:

adˈu·laˌtor noun

adˈu·la·toˌry (-lə-tôrˌē, -tōrˌē) adjective

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