compliment

²com·pli·ment

verb \ˈkäm-plə-ˌment\

Definition of COMPLIMENT

transitive verb

1

: to express esteem, respect, affection, or admiration to : to pay a compliment to

2

: to present with a token of esteem

Examples of COMPLIMENT

1. <complimented her on her election victory>
2. She was forever complimenting Ziba's exotic appearance and asking for her viewpoint on various international issues. —Anne Tyler, Digging to America, 2006
3. … she had gotten a three-and-a-half-star review in the Nut County Reporter, complimenting her especially on her crème brûlée and her pork medallions … —Jane Smiley, Good Faith, 2003
4. What a day. She had been winked at, complimented, given a gift, and now mistaken for the mysterious Alyce … —Karen Cushman, The Midwife's Apprentice, 1995
5. Wilde would compliment him later: ‘I have always regarded you as the best critic of my plays.’ ‘But I have never criticised your plays,’ said Tree. ‘That's why,’ said Wilde. —Richard Ellmann, Oscar Wilde, (1984) 1988

Origin of COMPLIMENT

(see ¹compliment)

First Known Use: 1673

Related to COMPLIMENT

Synonyms: congratulate, felicitate, hug

Related Words: applaud, cheer, commend, hail, salute; extol (also extoll), glorify, laud, praise

Near Antonyms: bad-mouth, belittle, cry down, decry, deprecate, depreciate, diminish, discount, disparage, minimize, put down, write off; jeer, mock, ridicule, taunt, tease

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Rhymes with COMPLIMENT

accident, aliment, Blaenau Gwent, circumvent, compartment, complement, confident, devilment, diffident, discontent, document, evident, heaven-sent, implement, incident, instrument, Jack-a-Lent, malcontent, nonevent, Occident, ornament, orient, provident, regiment, reinvent, represent, re-present, resident, Saint-Laurent, sediment, self-content, subsequent, supplement