Meaning & use
flatter to deceive
Last updated
Meanings
phraseidiom
to seem promising at first but then turn out to be disappointing.
Grammar: Used as a whole phrase after a linking verb: the team flattered to deceive, or it seemed to flatter to deceive.
Patterns
- seem to flatter to deceive
- flatter to deceive someone
The new phone flattered to deceive: the pictures looked amazing online, but the battery died within a day.
Their opening performance flattered to deceive, and the audience was restless by the second half.
The restaurant flattered to deceive, with a beautiful menu that the kitchen could not deliver.
phraseidiomfigurative
to raise someone's hopes with early success that does not last.
Grammar: Still a fixed phrase, but here the subject is a person or team whose early good form misleads observers.
Patterns
- someone flatters to deceive
- flatter to deceive in the first half
The young striker flattered to deceive in his first season, scoring twice and then going quiet for months.
She flattered to deceive at the start of the tournament before losing in straight sets.
Common combinations
- seem to flatter to deceive
- The plan seemed to flatter to deceive once the costs were added up.
- flatter to deceive in the first half
- United flattered to deceive in the first half and trailed by two goals at the break.
- a case of flattering to deceive
- The early sales figures were a case of flattering to deceive.
- promise much but flatter to deceive
- The sequel promised much but flattered to deceive.
Synonyms and how they differ
- promise much and deliver little
- A plainer phrase with the same idea; it is more neutral and works in ordinary conversation, while flatter to deceive is more idiomatic and often used in reviews.
- be a false dawn
- Focuses on a single hopeful moment that turns out to be misleading, whereas flatter to deceive stresses the attractive early appearance itself.
Opposites
Commonly confused: flatter to deceive or flatter? flatter to deceive or deceive?
flatter to deceive vs flatter
To flatter someone means to praise them insincerely; the idiom flatter to deceive is about appearances that mislead, not about praising a person.
flatter to deceive vs deceive
Deceive simply means to trick someone; flatter to deceive means to look good at first and then disappoint, with no trickery intended.
Practice
The team ______ in the opening games, winning twice before losing every match after that.
Choose one answer.
The idiom is a fixed phrase used as a past-tense verb phrase, so 'flattered to deceive' fits the past time of the sentence. 'Was flattered to deceive' would mean the team felt pleased by being tricked, which is not the meaning here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “flatter to deceive”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.