compliment
n. countablen. something nice that you say to someone to praise them. It shows that you admire their work, their appearance, or their behavior.
n. a polite expression of praise, admiration, or congratulation. Often used in the plural when referring to general greetings or respects.
She gave me a lovely compliment on my new dress.
Taking a compliment gracefully can be difficult for people who struggle with low self-esteem.
While some view imitation as the highest form of flattery, others find it a backhanded compliment that suggests a lack of original vision.
Borrowed from French compliment, itself a borrowing of Italian complimento, which in turn is a borrowing from Spanish cumplimiento, from cumplir (“to comply, complete, do what is proper”) + -miento or Latin complēmentum. Doublet of complement. Displaced Old English ġeswǣsnes.
Borrowed from French complimenter, from compliment + -er (verb-forming suffix).
Often takes the preposition 'on' to specify the subject of praise.
He paid me a complementHe paid me a complimentLearners often confuse 'compliment' (praise) with 'complement' (something that completes or improves).
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backhanded compliment
An insult disguised as a compliment; a compliment which can be interpreted as an insult.
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Chinese compliment
A pretense of deference; a veiled or subtle insult.
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left-handed compliment
A complimentary remark which is ambiguous or ineptly worded, so that it may be interpreted as having an unflattering or dismissive sense.