Literally, to compliment someone in return for a compliment they gave first. When she showed me her new dress, I could tell that she was fishing for a compliment. It's hard to tell when she's being sarcastic as a joke or when she's really just paying you a backhanded compliment. Complementary in pink and grey.. Don't pay a compliment to your date unless you really mean it—no one likes empty praise. to say something nice to someone about something connected to that person. A: "Those pants really suit you—your legs don't look nearly as fat in them!" An insulting or negative comment disguised as praise. Express praise or commendation to someone, as in. “Complementary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complementary. A: "Excuse me, but I didn't order this champagne." This was a backhanded compliment: it implied that they were capable of appreciating the highest works of art. A: "Those pants really suit you—your legs don't look nearly as fat in them!" I always feel the need to return people's compliments whenever they say something nice to me. There are a large number of Idioms and they are used very commonly in all languages. She said my new pants really make my legs look much slimmer. A false or facetious display of obeisance, or an insult disguised as a compliment. Accessed 24 Oct. 2020. See also: backhanded, compliment Chinese compliment A false or facetious display of obeisance, or an insult disguised as a compliment. I hate it when someone pays me a backhanded compliment—unless it's a joke. complementary synonyms, complementary pronunciation, complementary translation, English dictionary definition of complementary. The salesman just complimented me on my beautiful smile! What a left-handed compliment! I have to compliment you on this dinner you made—it's just delicious! A: "Excuse me, but I didn't order this champagne." Liverpool told summer transfer spending is a 'compliment' to Man City; Liverpool are looking to close a 25-point gap to last season's champions Man City, Love Island's Dani Dyer despairs at Samira Mighty's bad flirting when she compliments Sam Bird's aztec shorts; Dani and Megan taught Samira a thing or two about how to flirt, Rejoice foodies! And I think his left-handed compliments are all given by accident, too! I don't really like it when people pay me a compliment for my appearance—I never know how to react. Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible). It feels rude not to, I guess. To praise someone for something specific. He paid the chef a compliment for the delicious soufflé. To praise someone for something specific. If Tiffany's the one who started that rumor about me, I'll just return the compliment with a rumor about her. To compliment one; to give one a piece of praise. adj. backhanded compliment An insulting or negative comment disguised as praise. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. He paid the chef a compliment for the delicious soufflé. B: "Wow, talk about paying someone a left-handed compliment!". I'd prefer that someone insulted me directly. What a backhanded compliment! Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary, the webmaster's page for free fun content, Chinese International Students' Adaptive Orientations to Intercultural Compliment Interactions with Caucasian Americans. See also: backhanded, compliment Chinese compliment A false or facetious display of obeisance, or an insult disguised as a compliment. You don't need to fish for compliments by talking about the one C you got. I'd prefer that someone insulted me directly. Literally, for one to give a compliment to the person who has given a compliment to one. 1. She said my new pants really make my legs look much slimmer. To compliment one; to give one a piece of praise. Tom paid Bill a compliment when he told him he was intelligent. I was pleased with Alice's work and complimented her on it. Saying she's improved comes over as a backhanded compliment. It took me a little while to realize that he was paying me a compliment. John said that he had never seen me looking better. If Tiffany's the one who started that rumor about me, I'll just return her compliment with a rumor about her. Przeczytaj więcej w słowniku angielsko-malajskim Cambridge. What a backhanded compliment! She said my new pants really make my legs look much slimmer. It took me a little while to realize that he was paying me a compliment. To insult or negatively criticize one in a manner that is disguised as or seems like a compliment or bit of praise. I was pleased with Alice's work and complimented her on it. Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words? It feels rude not to, I guess. More from Merriam-Webster on complementary, Medical Dictionary: Definition of complementary, Nglish: Translation of complementary for Spanish Speakers, Britannica English: Translation of complementary for Arabic Speakers. She told me that my essay was ‘surprisingly good’, which I thought was a backhanded compliment. When someone says something nice, it is polite to return the compliment. Tara's always fishing for compliments by talking about how she couldn't get her hair the way she wanted it.