compliment

8 synonyms and 3 antonyms for compliment, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — A remark expressing praise, admiration or approval of someone or something.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

praise tribute

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

congratulate commend flatter

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

flattery commendation accolade

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

A remark expressing praise, admiration or approval of someone or something.

“He paid her a compliment on her cooking.”

praise tribute flattery commendation accolade

Opposites

insult criticism

2. verb

To tell someone that you admire or approve of them or something they have done.

“Several guests complimented the chef on the fish.”

praise congratulate commend flatter

Opposites

insult criticise

How to use compliment

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

pay someone a compliment take it as a compliment backhanded compliment return the compliment fish for compliments

Neutral in all contexts; the greetings sense is formal and slightly old-fashioned.

Etymology

From French compliment, ultimately from Latin complere "to fill up, complete", by way of Spanish and Italian words for an act of courtesy.

Full origin of compliment →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between compliment and complement?

A compliment is a kind word of praise; to compliment someone is to praise them. A complement is something that completes or goes well with another thing, as a scarf complements a coat. Remember that compliment with an i means "I like it".

What does "with our compliments" mean?

It means the item is given free as a courtesy — the sense behind the word complimentary. A restaurant offering dessert "with our compliments" is not charging for it.

Is complimentary the same as complementary?

No. Complimentary means either praising ("a complimentary review") or free of charge ("complimentary breakfast"). Complementary means two things fit well together, as in complementary colours or complementary skills.

People also searched

criticism praise tribute insult congratulate flatter commend criticise accolade commendation flattery

Nearby words

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