Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
to beslaver

to beslaver

9.9
To praise someone in a way that is not sincere to get a favor
  • verb
  • Archaic
translation icon : adular
  • She would beslaver her boss with compliments to gain his favor during meetings.

Examples

  • The critic felt the artist's lavish praise was nothing more than a way to beslaver her wealthy patrons.

  • The politician was known to beslaver his supporters with empty promises when election time came around.

  • So that the name shall be beslavered with the negro, now and forever, and the one shall not be mentioned without suggesting, by the most natural and intimate association, the other. Our Raleigh Correspondence, Wilmington J., Feb. 19, 1869, at 4.

    Academic text (2017)

Synonyms

to flatter
vsto beslaver
100 3.6

Praise someone with words you do not mean to get their help

is broader, covering excess or insincerity beyond seeking advantage
to gush
vsto beslaver
26 5.6

To praise a person or thing too much, often with strong feeling

is more about calculated insincere praise rather than emotional outburst
to fawn
vsto beslaver
25 7.7

Act very friendly and praise someone to gain their favor

is focused on praising excess rather than broad submissive behavior
to puff
vsto beslaver
  • Literature
7 7.4

To praise something too much to make people want to buy it

is more about flattering someone insincerely than promotion
to gush about
vsto beslaver
4 6.1

Talk in a very excited way to praise someone or something

is about insincere or strategic praise rather than pure emotion
to toady
vsto beslaver
1 9.1

Flatter and obey someone in power to get their favor

is similar but not limited to seeking favor from authority figures
to soft-soap
vsto beslaver
  • Informal
1 7.7

To try to persuade someone by giving false praise

is general excessive or insincere praise rather than mainly persuasion
to adulate
vsto beslaver
  • Formal
1 8.5

Praise someone too much when you are not sincere

is the general term for excessive insincere praise without stressing servility
to puff up
vsto beslaver
1 6.4

To praise someone too much to make them seem better

is similar but often implies calculated insincere praise for gain
to blandish
vsto beslaver
9.9

To persuade someone using gentle or false praise

is stronger and more openly excessive rather than gentle coaxing
to heap on praise
vsto beslaver
4.0

To give a lot of praise, often more than needed

is about insincere or excessive praise rather than only quantity

Antonyms

to criticize
701 3.3

To say what is wrong with someone or something

scorn
39 5.1

A strong feeling of dislike and no respect

to disparage
28 7.7

To speak badly about someone or something to show little respect

How Flattering

to beslaver
  • Archaic
9.9
to fawn
25 7.7
to flatter
100 3.6
to praise
331 1.0

Surface Forms

beslaver infinitive
beslaved past
beslaved past participle
beslaving present participle
beslavers third person singular

Morphology

beslaver = slaver (opaque) = be + slaver

The prefix 'be-' combined with 'slaver' does not transparently convey the meaning of excessive or insincere praise.

Etymology

Beslaver is made of be- and slaver, and slaver once meant 'to drool'. A helpful way to remember it is to picture someone 'drooling' praise over a person — that's why beslaver means to flatter someone in an excessive or insincere way.