Excessive or insincere praise (8)
I believe the answer is:
flattery
'excessive or insincere praise' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
This is the entire clue.
(Other definitions for flattery that I've seen before include "''Imitation is the sincerest form of . . . . . . . .'' (8)" , "Felt tray (anag.)" , "Fawning, false praise" , "Could it get you anywhere?" , "Compliments" .)