compliment

1 of 2

noun

com·pli·ment ˈkäm-plə-mənt How to pronounce compliment (audio)

: an expression of esteem, respect, affection, or admiration

especially : an admiring remark

: formal and respectful recognition : honor

compliments plural : best wishes : regards

accept my compliments

compliments of the season

—used in the phrase compliments of to identify the donor or source of a gift or free item or service

For less than $10, she gets transportation to the real-estate tycoon's casino, a voucher worth about $13 in cash, a meal ticket and a coupon good for $5 on her next visit—all compliments of the casino.

Julie Amparano

—often used ironically to identify the source of something that is not wanted

He received a speeding ticket, compliments of the state police.Add two more games to the list of area basketball postponements this week, compliments of wintry weather.

Marq Mitcham

compliment

2 of 2

verb

com·pli·ment ˈkäm-plə-ˌment How to pronounce compliment (audio)

complimented; complimenting; compliments

transitive verb

: to express esteem, respect, affection, or admiration to : to pay a compliment to

complimented the pianist on his performance

: to present with a token of esteem

complimented her with an honorary degree

Did you know?

Is it complement or compliment?

Today there is no overlap between the meanings of complement and compliment, as either nouns or verbs, but their similar spellings and pronunciations make them prime candidates for confusion. Despite the difference in their meanings, both complement and compliment have roots in the Latin word complēre which means “to complete.” Complement remains true to that origin in its spelling and in its meanings that have to do with completing or completion. Keep that connection in mind and there should be no question as to whether complement or compliment is the correct word to use in a given context.

Example Sentences

Noun "The warden said he wouldn't let just anybody have a young swan, but he'd let you have one because you understand about birds, and he trusts you. That's quite a compliment, son." Mr. Beaver looked pleased.

E. B. White, The Trumpet Of The Swan, (1970) 2000 Boys in the Midwest grow up without a word of praise, their parents fearful that a compliment might make them vain …

Garrison Keillor, WLT: A Radio Romance, 1991 Mallard scowled at him. He had never learned to receive compliment or expressions of gratitude gracefully.

Dorothy Simpson, The Night She Died, 1981 The first presentation of Falstaff I ever saw was yours … Perhaps the best compliment I can pay is to say, as I truly can, I am very anxious to see it again.

Abraham Lincoln, letter, 17 Aug. 1863 He told her he admired her paintings and she returned the compliment by saying that she was a fan of his sculptures. When customers recommend our company to friends and family members, we consider that to be the highest compliment we can get. Verb She was forever complimenting Ziba's exotic appearance and asking for her viewpoint on various international issues.

Anne Tyler, Digging to America, 2006 … she had gotten a three-and-a-half-star review in the Nut County Reporter, complimenting her especially on her crème brûlée and her pork medallions …

Jane Smiley, Good Faith, 2003 What a day. She had been winked at, complimented, given a gift, and now mistaken for the mysterious Alyce …

Karen Cushman, The Midwife's Apprentice, 1995 Wilde would compliment him later: 'I have always regarded you as the best critic of my plays.' 'But I have never criticised your plays,' said Tree. 'That's why,' said Wilde.

Richard Ellmann, Oscar Wilde, (1984) 1988 complimented her on her election victory See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Those apparent criticisms may have struck many Republican primary voters as a compliment.

Patrick Marley, Anchorage Daily News, 4 Aug. 2022 That's a compliment to Lamborghini's forward-thinking engineering team that fabricated a magnificent supercar.

Michael Harley, Forbes, 4 July 2022 Except in this case, theme park should be a compliment.

Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 24 May 2022 Being compared to Bill Cosby and his family was a compliment, right?

Kathleen Newman-bremang, refinery29.com, 11 Feb. 2022 For a team that had Duke Snider, Gil Hodges, Sandy Koufax, and Don Drysdale, that was quite a compliment.

Dan Schlossberg, Forbes, 3 Aug. 2022 Everybody had a different favorite song, and even those opinions would change all of the time, which is a lovely compliment to the record and its sonic diversity.

Stephen Daw, Billboard, 8 Apr. 2022 It was considered by many to be a back-handed compliment that was dismissive of the Williams’ significant accomplishments.

Cady Lang, Time, 29 Mar. 2022 When one online reviewer dismissed the book as a cross between Bridget Jones and Agatha Christie, Ms. Steiner took it as a compliment.

New York Times, 11 July 2022

Verb

Junior center midfielder Gus Dos Santos possesses the skills to attack downhill, showcasing elite speed and quickness to compliment slick ball handling.

Cam Kerry, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Sep. 2022 Each Epic Encounter is broken up into two boxes that compliment each other.

Rob Wieland, Forbes, 1 July 2022 Everyone in my life has noticed the change, from my family and friends to strangers who compliment my clear complexion.

Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 14 July 2022 The ventral striatum is activated in the brains of couples who are asked to compliment each other, suggesting that the anticipation is itself rewarding.

Rafil Kroll-zaidi, Harper’s Magazine , 17 Aug. 2022 While Rodriguez continued to compliment Jeter during the interview, he was repeatedly pressed on the subject.

Charmaine Patterson, PEOPLE.com, 29 July 2022 The lipstick comes in two shades, Magic Brownie, a gorgeous ‘90s brown made to compliment every skin tone, and Angel Rave, a cool purple.

Bella Cacciatore, Glamour, 17 May 2022 The Spotlight Pro is a brand new product for the Vivint range and is designed to compliment the Outdoor Camera Pro.

Matthew Humphries, PCMAG, 9 May 2022 Chantelle Edwards, 44, visiting from Indianapolis, stopped to compliment the costumes.

New York Times, 4 May 2022 See More

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from French, Italian & Spanish; French, borrowed from Italian & Spanish; Italian complimento, borrowed from Spanish cumplimiento, complimiento "offer made solely for reasons of etiquette," earlier "abundance," from cumplir "to go along (with), meet the expectations (of), satisfy (obligations of courtesy)," earlier, "to carry out, execute, fulfill" + -miento -ment — more at comply

Note: In the seventeenth century the word was often spelled complement, and complement entry 1 was occasionally spelled compliment. Senses of complement current in early Modern English, as "any observance that tends to give completeness to the expression of worship, honour, reverence, or the like" (Oxford English Dictionary, first edition) tend to shade into compliment, so that it is difficult to know if authors recognized a difference between the words.

Verb

borrowed from French complimenter, derivative of compliment compliment entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1673, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

compliment 1 of 2

noun

com·pli·ment ˈkäm-plə-mənt How to pronounce compliment (audio)

: an act or expression of praise, approval, respect, or admiration

compliments plural : best wishes

Please accept this with my compliments.

compliment

2 of 2

verb

com·pli·ment ˈkäm-plə-ˌment How to pronounce compliment (audio)

complimented; complimenting

: to express praise, approval, respect, or admiration to

Choose the Right Synonym for compliment

Verb

compliment, praise, and flatter mean to express approval or admiration to someone personally. compliment is used of a courteous or pleasant statement of admiration. He complimented students on their neat work. praise may be used when the statement of approval comes from a person in authority. The boss praised us for doing a good job. flatter is used of complimenting a person too much and especially insincerely. We flattered the teacher in the hope of getting better grades.

单词	complimenting
释义	compliment 1 of 2 noun com·pli·ment ˈkäm-plə-mənt 1 a : an expression of esteem, respect, affection, or admiration especially : an admiring remark b : formal and respectful recognition : honor 2 a compliments plural : best wishes : regards accept my compliments compliments of the season b —used in the phrase compliments of to identify the donor or source of a gift or free item or service For less than $10, she gets transportation to the real-estate tycoon's casino, a voucher worth about $13 in cash, a meal ticket and a coupon good for $5 on her next visit—all compliments of the casino. Julie Amparano —often used ironically to identify the source of something that is not wanted He received a speeding ticket, compliments of the state police.Add two more games to the list of area basketball postponements this week, compliments of wintry weather. Marq Mitcham compliment 2 of 2 verb com·pli·ment ˈkäm-plə-ˌment complimented; complimenting; compliments transitive verb 1 : to express esteem, respect, affection, or admiration to : to pay a compliment to complimented the pianist on his performance 2 : to present with a token of esteem complimented her with an honorary degree Did you know? Is it complement or compliment? Today there is no overlap between the meanings of complement and compliment, as either nouns or verbs, but their similar spellings and pronunciations make them prime candidates for confusion. Despite the difference in their meanings, both complement and compliment have roots in the Latin word complēre which means “to complete.” Complement remains true to that origin in its spelling and in its meanings that have to do with completing or completion. Keep that connection in mind and there should be no question as to whether complement or compliment is the correct word to use in a given context. Synonyms Noun bouquet kudo Verb congratulate felicitate hug See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Noun "The warden said he wouldn't let just anybody have a young swan, but he'd let you have one because you understand about birds, and he trusts you. That's quite a compliment, son." Mr. Beaver looked pleased. E. B. White, The Trumpet Of The Swan, (1970) 2000 Boys in the Midwest grow up without a word of praise, their parents fearful that a compliment might make them vain … Garrison Keillor, WLT: A Radio Romance, 1991 Mallard scowled at him. He had never learned to receive compliment or expressions of gratitude gracefully. Dorothy Simpson, The Night She Died, 1981 The first presentation of Falstaff I ever saw was yours … Perhaps the best compliment I can pay is to say, as I truly can, I am very anxious to see it again. Abraham Lincoln, letter, 17 Aug. 1863 He told her he admired her paintings and she returned the compliment by saying that she was a fan of his sculptures. When customers recommend our company to friends and family members, we consider that to be the highest compliment we can get. Verb She was forever complimenting Ziba's exotic appearance and asking for her viewpoint on various international issues. Anne Tyler, Digging to America, 2006 … she had gotten a three-and-a-half-star review in the Nut County Reporter, complimenting her especially on her crème brûlée and her pork medallions … Jane Smiley, Good Faith, 2003 What a day. She had been winked at, complimented, given a gift, and now mistaken for the mysterious Alyce … Karen Cushman, The Midwife's Apprentice, 1995 Wilde would compliment him later: 'I have always regarded you as the best critic of my plays.' 'But I have never criticised your plays,' said Tree. 'That's why,' said Wilde. Richard Ellmann, Oscar Wilde, (1984) 1988 complimented her on her election victory See More Recent Examples on the Web Noun Those apparent criticisms may have struck many Republican primary voters as a compliment. Patrick Marley, Anchorage Daily News, 4 Aug. 2022 That's a compliment to Lamborghini's forward-thinking engineering team that fabricated a magnificent supercar. Michael Harley, Forbes, 4 July 2022 Except in this case, theme park should be a compliment. Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 24 May 2022 Being compared to Bill Cosby and his family was a compliment, right? Kathleen Newman-bremang, refinery29.com, 11 Feb. 2022 For a team that had Duke Snider, Gil Hodges, Sandy Koufax, and Don Drysdale, that was quite a compliment. Dan Schlossberg, Forbes, 3 Aug. 2022 Everybody had a different favorite song, and even those opinions would change all of the time, which is a lovely compliment to the record and its sonic diversity. Stephen Daw, Billboard, 8 Apr. 2022 It was considered by many to be a back-handed compliment that was dismissive of the Williams’ significant accomplishments. Cady Lang, Time, 29 Mar. 2022 When one online reviewer dismissed the book as a cross between Bridget Jones and Agatha Christie, Ms. Steiner took it as a compliment. New York Times, 11 July 2022 Verb Junior center midfielder Gus Dos Santos possesses the skills to attack downhill, showcasing elite speed and quickness to compliment slick ball handling. Cam Kerry, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Sep. 2022 Each Epic Encounter is broken up into two boxes that compliment each other. Rob Wieland, Forbes, 1 July 2022 Everyone in my life has noticed the change, from my family and friends to strangers who compliment my clear complexion. Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 14 July 2022 The ventral striatum is activated in the brains of couples who are asked to compliment each other, suggesting that the anticipation is itself rewarding. Rafil Kroll-zaidi, Harper’s Magazine , 17 Aug. 2022 While Rodriguez continued to compliment Jeter during the interview, he was repeatedly pressed on the subject. Charmaine Patterson, PEOPLE.com, 29 July 2022 The lipstick comes in two shades, Magic Brownie, a gorgeous ‘90s brown made to compliment every skin tone, and Angel Rave, a cool purple. Bella Cacciatore, Glamour, 17 May 2022 The Spotlight Pro is a brand new product for the Vivint range and is designed to compliment the Outdoor Camera Pro. Matthew Humphries, PCMAG, 9 May 2022 Chantelle Edwards, 44, visiting from Indianapolis, stopped to compliment the costumes. New York Times, 4 May 2022 See More Word History Etymology Noun borrowed from French, Italian & Spanish; French, borrowed from Italian & Spanish; Italian complimento, borrowed from Spanish cumplimiento, complimiento "offer made solely for reasons of etiquette," earlier "abundance," from cumplir "to go along (with), meet the expectations (of), satisfy (obligations of courtesy)," earlier, "to carry out, execute, fulfill" + -miento -ment — more at comply Note: In the seventeenth century the word was often spelled complement, and complement entry 1 was occasionally spelled compliment. Senses of complement current in early Modern English, as "any observance that tends to give completeness to the expression of worship, honour, reverence, or the like" (Oxford English Dictionary, first edition) tend to shade into compliment, so that it is difficult to know if authors recognized a difference between the words. Verb borrowed from French complimenter, derivative of compliment compliment entry 1 First Known Use Noun 1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1a Verb 1673, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Phrases Containing compliment backhanded compliment pay (someone) a compliment take a compliment backhanded compliment pay (someone) a compliment take a compliment Kids Definition compliment 1 of 2 noun com·pli·ment ˈkäm-plə-mənt 1 : an act or expression of praise, approval, respect, or admiration 2 compliments plural : best wishes Please accept this with my compliments. compliment 2 of 2 verb com·pli·ment ˈkäm-plə-ˌment complimented; complimenting : to express praise, approval, respect, or admiration to Choose the Right Synonym for compliment Verb compliment, praise, and flatter mean to express approval or admiration to someone personally. compliment is used of a courteous or pleasant statement of admiration. He complimented students on their neat work. praise may be used when the statement of approval comes from a person in authority. The boss praised us for doing a good job. flatter is used of complimenting a person too much and especially insincerely. We flattered the teacher in the hope of getting better grades. complimenting verb present participle of compliment as in congratulating to express to (someone) admiration for his or her success or good fortune complimented her on her election victory Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance congratulating hugging praising commending applauding saluting cheering felicitating extolling hailing lauding glorifying Antonyms & Near Antonyms minimizing belittling disparaging diminishing discounting decrying deprecating depreciating mocking ridiculing teasing taunting bad-mouthing writing off jeering putting down crying down See More
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compliment

noun

verb

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Phrases Containing compliment

Kids Definition

noun

verb

Choose the Right Synonym for compliment

verb