complement

verb

/ˈkɒmplɪment/

/ˈkɑːmplɪment/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they complement	/ˈkɒmplɪment/ /ˈkɑːmplɪment/
he / she / it complements	/ˈkɒmplɪments/ /ˈkɑːmplɪments/
past simple complemented	/ˈkɒmplɪmentɪd/ /ˈkɑːmplɪmentɪd/
past participle complemented	/ˈkɒmplɪmentɪd/ /ˈkɑːmplɪmentɪd/
-ing form complementing	/ˈkɒmplɪmentɪŋ/ /ˈkɑːmplɪmentɪŋ/

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complement something to add to something in a way that improves it or makes it more attractive
- The excellent menu is complemented by a good wine list.
- The team needs players who complement each other.
- The flavours in the dish complement each other perfectly.
Which Word? compliment / complement
compliment / complement
- These words have similar spellings but completely different meanings. If you compliment someone, you say something very nice to them:
  She complimented me on my English.
  If one thing complements another, the two things work or look better because they are together:
  The different flavours complement each other perfectly.
- The adjectives are also often confused. Complimentary:
  She made some very complimentary remarks about my English.
  It can also mean ‘free’:
  There was a complimentary basket of fruit in our room.
  Complementary:
  The team members have different but complementary skills.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- nicely
- well
- perfectly
- …
See full entry
Word Originlate Middle English (in the sense ‘completion’): from Latin complementum, from complere ‘fill up’, from com- (expressing intensive force) + plere ‘fill’. Compare with compliment.

complement

noun

/ˈkɒmplɪmənt/

/ˈkɑːmplɪmənt/

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complement (to something) a thing that adds new qualities to something in a way that improves it or makes it more attractive
- This vegetable's natural sweetness is a perfect complement to salty or rich foods.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- good
- ideal
- natural
- …
preposition
- complement to
See full entry
the complete number or quantity needed or allowed
- We've taken our full complement of trainees this year.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- full
- large
- normal
- …
verb + complement
- take
preposition
- complement of
See full entry
(grammar) a word or phrase, especially an adjective or a noun, that is used after linking verbs such as be and become, and describes the subject of the verb. In some descriptions of grammar it is used to refer to any word or phrase that is governed by a verb and usually comes after the verb in a sentence.
- In the sentences ‘I'm angry’ and ‘He became a politician’, ‘angry’ and ‘politician’ are complements.
Topics Languageb2

Word Originlate Middle English (in the sense ‘completion’): from Latin complementum, from complere ‘fill up’, from com- (expressing intensive force) + plere ‘fill’. Compare with compliment.