Adulatress

/ˈædjʊleɪtrɪs/ noun

Definition

A female flatterer; a woman who praises someone excessively and insincerely.

Etymology

From adulator with the feminine suffix -ess, similar to how actor/actress works, indicating a woman who adultes.

Kelly Says

The word 'adulatress' is historically rare because it reveals how language reflects society—when flattery was seen as a feminine weakness, the word existed, but modern English has largely dropped it as gender-specific agent nouns fall out of favor.

Ethical Language Guidance

Gender History

This feminine form explicitly marks gender via suffix (-ess), a historical convention that created separate gendered agent nouns. The term carries bias by differentiating women who flatter from a (unmarked male) 'adulator.'

Inclusive Usage

Avoid gendered agent nouns. Use 'adulator' or 'flatterer' for any person regardless of gender.

Inclusive Alternatives

["adulator","flatterer","sycophant"]

Related Words

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