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compliment

noun · verb

Simple meaning

Something nice you say to praise someone.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

kahmpluhment

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US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈkɑmpləmɛnt

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

noun

  1. An expression of praise, congratulation, or respect.

  2. uncountable

    Complimentary language; courtesy, flattery.

verb

  1. ambitransitive

    To pay a compliment (to someone); to express a favourable opinion (of someone).

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
Moderately Common
Typical Use
Neutral / general English

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: An expression of praise, congratulation, or respect.

Used this way, compliment is a reasonably familiar word with a mildly favourable edge. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Emotional tone
Slightly positive
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Moderate
How common
Moderately common
Connotation
Positive and appreciative
Usage feel
Neutral and straightforward

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use compliment

  • “He complimented her on her last physics paper.”verb

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Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

backhanded complimentgreat complimenthigh complimentgreater complimentpoor complimenthanded compliment

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Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Inflected forms

Grammatical variations of the same word.

  • complimentsnounPlural form

    A polite expression of desire for someone's welfare.

Word family

Words built from the same root.

  • compliancenounDerived noun

    Acting according to certain accepted standards.

Related words

Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.

  • complimentaryadjectiveRelated term

    Conveying or resembling a compliment.

Commonly Confused With

complementCompliment vs. ComplementKnow the difference

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.