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Glite Dictionary
to butter up

to butter up

13 4.2
Say nice things to someone to get what you want
  • phrasal verb
  • /ˈbʌtər ʌp/
  • Informal
translation icon : adular
  • Before asking for a raise, he decided to butter up his manager with compliments.
  • trying to butter up
  • go to butter up
  • just trying to butter up

So you need to butter up their ego, honestly, not, you know, praise them for something that's real that they did.

Examples

  • - Don't try to butter me up.

    For Your Own Sake (2021)

  • What are you buttering me up for?

    The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005)

  • I mean, if you have to see them again next semester, why not butter them up a bit before you go?

    Blog text (6)

  • I'm not trying to butter you up, Mr. Williams.

    Living (2022)

  • - You're trying to butter me up, boy.

    His Stretch of Texas Ground (2021)

  • People will try to butter you up, for instance, by complimenting your taste and intelligence.

    Blog text (23)

  • They butter you up, and then they make a request that you do something for them.

    Blog text (4)

  • You're buttering me up for something.

    Turner & Hooch (1989)

  • He buys a round of shots to butter her up.

    Blog text (9)

  • If you're here to try to butter me up to get me to sell you my property, don't bother.

    Gas (2004)

Synonyms

to flatter
vsto butter up
100 3.6

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

aims specifically to gain a favor or something from them
to suck up
vsto butter up
  • Informal
26 8.0

To praise someone to get their approval

uses stronger, direct praise to get a specific favor
to fawn
vsto butter up
25 7.7

Act very friendly and praise someone to gain their favor

is more about active heavy praise to obtain advantage
to sweet-talk
vsto butter up
  • Informal
23 5.3

To persuade someone by saying nice things to them

is more intense, aiming to gain clear favor or something tangible
to kiss up
vsto butter up
  • Informal
16 7.9

Say nice things to someone to get their help or a reward

is more intense, using lots of praise to gain clear benefits
to curry favor
vsto butter up
  • US
10 7.4

To try to get someone to like you by praising them or being too helpful

relies more on heavy praise rather than practical helpfulness
to kiss ass
vsto butter up
  • Offensive
8 9.5

To try to please someone in power to get an advantage

focuses more on heavy praise aimed at getting something
to cozy up
vsto butter up
  • Informal
6 7.0

To try to make someone like you for your own advantage, often in a fake way

depends more on heavy verbal praise to secure favor
to brown-nose
vsto butter up
  • Offensive
4 8.2

To flatter someone in power without meaning it to get their favor

is similar but covers heavy praise for any advantage, not only authority
to toady
vsto butter up
1 9.1

Flatter and obey someone in power to get their favor

is similar but often used more casually to get a favor
to soft-soap
vsto butter up
  • Informal
1 7.7

To try to persuade someone by giving false praise

focuses more on heavy praise to obtain a favor
to play up
vsto butter up
  • Informal
1 5.5

Try to get someone's approval by giving false praise

uses more focused, heavy praise aimed at getting something
to honey
vsto butter up
  • Informal
1 8.1

To speak very kindly to someone to get something from them

uses heavier, direct praise focused on winning favor
to shine up
vsto butter up
  • Informal
1 8.0

Try to make someone like you by giving fake praise or acting friendly

is stronger, concentrating on persistent praise for advantage
to court favor
vsto butter up
1 6.8

To try to get someone's approval by praising them a lot

is more about heavy praise specifically to obtain something
to apple-polish
vsto butter up
  • Informal
9.0

To give praise that is not real to get a favor

applies heavier, targeted praise to obtain a favor or item
to honey up to
vsto butter up
  • Informal
8.8

To please someone with too many compliments to get a favor

leans more toward strong praise aimed at getting something
to pour honey in someone's ear
vsto butter up
  • Informal
9.9

Say nice words you do not mean to get something from someone

is more about strong, persistent praise to obtain benefits
to cotton up
vsto butter up
  • UK
9.8

To act friendly to someone to get what you want

relies more on explicit heavy praise to gain a favor
to lick someone's ass
vsto butter up
  • Offensive
9.9

To praise someone too much to get their favor in a rude way

shares the same intent but uses less vulgar language
to lick someone's boot
vsto butter up
  • Offensive
8.9

Praise or act very friendly toward a boss to get something for yourself

is similar in aim but normally uses standard language

Antonyms

to offend
524 2.8

Cause a person to feel hurt, upset and angry because of your words or actions

to displease
28 4.7

To make someone feel annoyed or unhappy

How Flattering

to fawn
25 7.7
to butter up
  • Informal
13 4.2
to flatter
100 3.6
to compliment
95 1.6

Surface Forms

butter up infinitive
buttered up past
buttered up past participle
buttering up present participle
butters up third person singular

Morphology

butter + up

The connection is partly metaphorical: 'butter' evokes smoothing/softening and 'up' suggests enhancing, which can map onto making someone more favorable, but the specific sense 'flatter someone to gain favor' is not strictly derivable from the literal words. This metaphorical extension is somewhat guessable but not fully predictable for a B1 learner without exposure, so it is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Butter up may come from the old idea of giving someone butter or tasty food to make them feel pleased and friendly. So, like winning someone over with gifts or praise, butter up means 'to flatter someone a lot to get their favor'.