complement
gb/kˈɑmpləmənt/ us/kˈɑmpləmənt/
B2
Angličtina
~ 8600
Významy
0 významů
Podstatné jméno
B2
entity
1
something that completes or pairs well
Something that makes another thing complete or better, or goes very well with it.
Vzorec užití:
[something] is a complement to [something]
Častá chyba:
Learners often confuse "complement" with "compliment". "Complement" (with an "e") is about completing or going well with something: "The sauce is a perfect complement to the meat." "Compliment" (with an "i") means praise: "He gave her a compliment on her cooking." Another mistake is using the wrong preposition; for this sense it is usually "a complement to" something, not "a complement of".
Synonyma
counterpart (Often stresses a matching part or equivalent in another place or system, not always about improving or completing.)
|
match (More general and informal; can mean simply that two things go well together, without the idea of completion.)
|
supplement (Focuses on adding something extra that is missing; less about natural harmony and more about filling a gap.)
Antonyma
clash (Used especially about colors, styles, or ideas that do not go well together.)
|
mismatch (Emphasizes that two things do not fit or work well together.)
Kolokace
perfect complement
|natural complement
|ideal complement
|complement to
|serve as a complement
|provide a complement
Témata
relationships
|description
|daily life
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Příklady
- This crisp white wine is the perfect complement to spicy seafood dishes.
- Her calm, methodical style is a great complement to his energetic approach.
- The new app is designed as a complement to the existing desktop software.
- A side salad makes a light complement to the rich main course.
- The scarf is a colorful complement to her otherwise plain outfit.
Učební příklady
- Rice is a good complement to many meat dishes.
- His skills are a strong complement to the team.
- The sauce is a nice complement to the fish.
- This book is a useful complement to the main textbook.
- The red shoes are a fun complement to her black dress.
Sloveso
B2
action
2
to complete or go well with
To go well with something and make it better or more complete.
Vzorec užití:
[something] complements [something]
Častá chyba:
Learners often write *"compliment"* instead of "complement" for this meaning, especially after hearing it. Remember: "complement" is used when two things go well together ("The shoes complement the dress"), while "compliment" is used when you say something nice to someone ("He complimented her dress"). Another mistake is adding "with": in most cases we say "X complements Y", not *"complements with Y"*.
Synonyma
enhance (Focuses more on improving quality, not always on completing or balancing another thing.)
|
balance (Stresses creating harmony or evenness; may not always imply completion.)
|
go with (More informal; often used about clothes, colors, or food that look or taste good together.)
Antonyma
clash (Used especially for colors, designs, or styles that look bad together.)
|
conflict (Emphasizes that two things do not work or fit well together.)
Kolokace
complement each other
|complement [something] perfectly
|colors that complement
|flavors that complement
|skills that complement
|designed to complement
Témata
relationships
|description
|arts
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Příklady
- The light curtains complement the dark wooden floor beautifully.
- Their skills complement each other, so they make a strong team.
- A squeeze of lemon really complements the flavor of the fish.
- This software is meant to complement, not replace, traditional teaching.
- The new regulations are designed to complement existing safety laws.
Učební příklady
- The blue shirt complements his eyes.
- These two colors complement each other well.
- Her soft voice complements the quiet music.
- This small course will complement your main studies.
- The new app complements the website.
Podstatné jméno
C1
quantity
3
full number or amount needed
The full group or amount that is needed or usual in a situation.
Vzorec užití:
a full complement of [people/things]
Častá chyba:
Learners sometimes think this sense means "extra" people or things, but it actually means the full, correct number. Another error is using it without an article; in most cases you say "a full complement of" rather than just *"full complement of"* in standard written English.
Synonyma
full staff (Informal and specific to employees; does not work well with non-human things.)
|
full quota (Often used when a fixed, allowed number is involved; slightly more technical.)
|
entire roster (Used more about lists of people such as teams; less general than "complement".)
Antonyma
shortage (Highlights having too few people or things compared with what is needed.)
|
understaffing (Specific to not having enough staff or workers.)
Kolokace
a full complement of staff
|a full complement of crew
|entire complement
|carry a complement of
|complement of officers
Témata
work
|organization
|transport
|core_vocabulary
Příklady
- The hospital finally has a full complement of doctors on the night shift.
- The ship sailed with a complement of 200 passengers and 50 crew.
- We will open the new branch as soon as we reach a full complement of staff.
- The board now has its full complement of ten members.
- The aircraft took off with a full complement of fuel and supplies.
Učební příklady
- The hotel does not have a full complement of workers yet.
- The bus left with a full complement of passengers.
- Our team now has a full complement of players.
- The office will run better with a full complement of staff.
- The ship carried a complement of 30 sailors.
Podstatné jméno
technical
C1
entity
4
set of all elements not in a set
In mathematics, all the items in the whole group that are not in a smaller group you are talking about.
Vzorec užití:
the complement of [set A] (in [set B])
Častá chyba:
Students sometimes confuse the complement of a set with its subset. A complement contains all elements not in the set (relative to some universal set), while a subset contains elements that are inside the set.
Synonyma
set-theoretic complement (More explicit and technical term used in mathematics texts.)
Antonyma
subset (Not a strict logical opposite, but contrasts with focusing on elements inside the set instead of outside it.)
Kolokace
the complement of A
|set complement
|relative complement
|complement in the universal set
|complement of a subset
Témata
mathematics
|education
|science
Příklady
- If U is the universal set and A is a subset of U, then the complement of A is written as A′ or Ac.
- In this exercise you must find the complement of the shaded region in the Venn diagram.
- The complement of the set of even numbers, within the integers, is the set of odd numbers.
Učební příklady
- In the picture, the white area is the complement of set A.
- The teacher asked us to find the complement of B in the universal set U.
- In a Venn diagram, the complement is everything outside the circle for that set.
Podstatné jméno
technical
C1
entity
5
grammatical element completing meaning
In grammar, a word or group of words that you must add to a verb, noun, or adjective so that the sentence has a complete meaning.
Vzorec užití:
a [subject/object] complement
Častá chyba:
Learners often confuse complements with adjuncts. A complement is required to complete the meaning of the verb ("She put the book on the table" — "on the table" is a complement), but an adjunct is extra information that can be removed ("She read the book yesterday" — "yesterday" is an adjunct).
Synonyma
predicative (Technical term often used for complements linked to the subject via a linking verb; more specific than "complement".)
Antonyma
adjunct (In grammar, an optional part of the sentence that is not required to complete the meaning of the verb.)
Kolokace
subject complement
|object complement
|verb complement
|clausal complement
|complement of the verb
Témata
linguistics
|education
|language
|communication
Příklady
- In the sentence "She is a doctor", the noun phrase "a doctor" functions as a subject complement.
- Some verbs, like "consider", can take an object complement, as in "They considered him a friend."
- The clause "that she was late" is a clausal complement of the verb "explained" in this sentence.
Učební příklady
- In "He became tired", the word "tired" is a subject complement.
- In "We named the dog Max", the word "Max" is an object complement.
- Your teacher may ask you to underline the complement in the sentence.
Gramatika
Slovníkový tvar
complement
IPA
GB/kˈɑmpləmənt/
US/kˈɑmpləmənt/
Slabiky a přízvuk
com - ple - ment (3 slabiky)
Stress on 1st syllable (com)
Tvary slova
Noun
- Base: complement
- Plural: complement, complements
Verb
- Base: complement
- 3rd Person Singular: complements
- Present Participle: complementing
- Past: complemented
Příbuzná slova
Forms
complements
noun
complementing
verb
complemented
verb
Core family
complementary
adjective B2
Related words
Negative and opposite forms
incomplete
adjective B1
Advanced or less common
complementarity
noun
Výrazy
a full complement of [something]
1/ə fˈʊl kˈɑmpləmənt əv sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
the complete number needed
Used to say that you have the full number of people or things that you need or expect.
Příklady
- We finally have a full complement of staff for the summer season.
- The plane took off with a full complement of passengers and crew.
a perfect complement to [something]
1/ə pˈɚfɛkt kˈɑmpləmənt tə sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
ideal thing that completes something
Used to say that one thing goes extremely well with another thing and makes it better or complete.
Příklady
- This sharp cheddar is a perfect complement to the sweet apple slices.
- Her technical knowledge is a perfect complement to his sales experience.
complement each other
1/kˈɑmpləmənt ˈit͡ʃ ˈʌðɚ/
fixed phrase
mutually complete or enhance each other
Used when two or more people or things go very well together and make each other better or more complete.
Příklady
- Their personalities complement each other; she is patient and he is decisive.
- The sweet sauce and the salty meat really complement each other.
serve as a complement to [something]
1/sˈɚv ˈæz ə kˈɑmpləmənt tə sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
formal
function to complete or support
Used in more formal English to say that something has the job of completing or supporting something else.
Příklady
- The online course is designed to serve as a complement to classroom teaching.
- Local buses serve as a complement to the city’s train network.