compliment
gb/kˈɑmpləmɛnt/ us/kˈɑmpləmɛnt/
B1
English
~ 4700
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
A polite expression of praise
A nice thing you say to show you like or admire someone or something.
Usage pattern:
to give [someone] a compliment
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'compliment' with 'complement', which means something that completes or goes well with something else.
Synonyms
praise (More general approval or admiration, not always in a short remark.)
|
flattery (Praise that may be exaggerated or insincere.)
Antonyms
insult (A remark intended to offend or hurt.)
Collocations
pay a compliment
|receive a compliment
|accept a compliment
|give a compliment
|return a compliment
Themes
communication
|emotions
|daily life
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She received many compliments on her presentation.
- He paid me a compliment about my cooking.
- Your dress is lovely—that’s a genuine compliment.
- The teacher gave him a compliment for his hard work.
- It’s polite to return a compliment when you get one.
Learner examples
- She gave me a compliment about my hair.
- I got a nice compliment from my friend.
- He said my English was good. That was a compliment.
- I like giving compliments to people.
- She smiled when she heard the compliment.
Verb
B1
action
2
To express praise or admiration
To say something nice to show you like or admire someone or something.
Usage pattern:
to compliment [someone] on [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes forget to use 'on' after 'compliment' when talking about the specific thing being praised.
Synonyms
praise (To express approval, not necessarily in a short remark.)
|
commend (More formal than 'compliment', often for official recognition.)
Antonyms
criticize (To point out faults instead of giving praise.)
Collocations
compliment someone on their work
|compliment someone on their appearance
|compliment sincerely
Themes
communication
|emotions
|daily life
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I complimented her on her excellent choice of words.
- He often compliments his team on their achievements.
- They complimented the chef on the delicious meal.
- She complimented me on my new haircut.
- The manager complimented them for their hard work.
Learner examples
- I complimented my friend on her new shoes.
- He complimented me on my drawing.
- She likes to compliment people when they do well.
- I will compliment him on his speech.
- They complimented the singer after the show.
Grammar
Dictionary form
compliment
IPA
GB/kˈɑmpləmɛnt/
US/kˈɑmpləmɛnt/
Syllables & stress
com - pli - ment (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (com)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: compliment
- Plural: compliments
Verb
- Base: compliment
- 3rd Person Singular: compliments
- Present Participle: complimenting
- Past: complimented
Word family
Forms
compliments
noun
complimenting
verb
complimented
verb
Core family
complimentary
adjective B2
Negative and opposite forms
uncomplimentary
adjective
Expressions
pay someone a compliment
1/pˈeɪ sˈʌmwˌʌn ə kˈɑmpləmɛnt/
fixed phrase
To give praise to someone
To say something nice to someone to show you like or admire them.
Examples
- She paid me a compliment on my singing.
- It’s always nice to pay someone a compliment when they’ve done well.
return the compliment
1/ɹɪtˈɚn ðə kˈɑmpləmɛnt/
fixed phrase
Give praise in response to praise received
To say something nice back to someone who said something nice to you first.
Examples
- She returned the compliment by praising his artwork.
- He thanked her and returned the compliment.
take it as a compliment
1/tˈeɪk ˈɪt ˈæz ə kˈɑmpləmɛnt/
fixed phrase
View a remark as praise
To understand what someone says as something nice, even if it might not sound that way at first.
Examples
- If they call you unique, take it as a compliment.
- I didn’t mean to offend you—please take it as a compliment.