Definition of 'compliment'
Word forms: compliments, complimenting, complimentedpronunciation note: The verb is pronounced (kɒmplɪmɛnt
). The noun is pronounced (kɒmplɪmənt
).
1. countable noun
A compliment is a polite remark that you make to someone to show that you like their appearance,
appreciate their qualities, or approve of what they have done.
You can do no harm by paying a woman compliments.
2. transitive verb
If you compliment someone, you
give them a compliment.
They complimented me on the way I looked each time they saw me.
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Video: pronunciation of
compliment
Word Frequency
compliment in American English
noun
1.
a formal act or
expression of
courtesy or respect
verb transitive
5.
to pay a compliment to; congratulate
6.
to
present something to (a person) as an act of politeness or respect
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word origin
Fr < It complimento < Sp cumplimiento < cumplir, to fill up < VL *complire, for L complere, to
completeWord Frequency
compliment in British English
▶ USAGE Avoid confusion with
complement
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word origin
C17: from French, from Italian complimento, from Spanish cumplimiento, from cumplir to complete, do what is fitting, be polite
Examples of 'compliment' in a sentence
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In other languages
compliment
British English: compliment
/ˈkɒmplɪˌmɛnt/ NOUN
A compliment is a polite remark that you say to someone to show that you like their appearance, appreciate their qualities, or approve of what they have done.
You can do no harm by paying a woman compliments.
- American English: compliment
- Arabic: مُجَامَلَة
- Brazilian Portuguese: cumprimento expressão de civilidade
- Chinese: 称赞
- Croatian: kompliment
- Czech: kompliment
- Danish: kompliment
- Dutch: compliment
- European Spanish: halago
- Finnish: kohteliaisuus lausahdus
- French: compliment
- German: Kompliment
- Greek: φιλοφρόνηση
- Italian: complimento
- Japanese: ほめことば
- Korean: 칭찬
- Norwegian: kompliment
- Polish: komplement
- European Portuguese: elogio
- Romanian: compliment
- Russian: комплимент
- Spanish: halago
- Swedish: komplimang
- Thai: คำชมเชย
- Turkish: iltifat
- Ukrainian: комплімент
- Vietnamese: lời khen
British English: compliment
/ˈkɒmplɪment/ VERB
If you compliment someone, you say something nice about them.
They complimented me on the way I looked each time they saw me.
- American English: compliment
- Arabic: يُجَامِلُ
- Brazilian Portuguese: cumprimentar
- Chinese: 称赞
- Croatian: komplimentirati
- Czech: chválit
- Danish: komplimentere
- Dutch: complimenteren
- European Spanish: halagar
- Finnish: kehua
- French: complimenter
- German: ein Kompliment machen
- Greek: κάνω φιλοφρόνηση
- Italian: complimentarsi
- Japanese: ほめる
- Korean: 칭찬하다
- Norwegian: gratulere
- Polish: pochwalić
- European Portuguese: cumprimentar
- Romanian: a complimenta
- Russian: делать комплимент
- Spanish: halagar
- Swedish: ge komplimang
- Thai: ชมเชย
- Turkish: iltifat etmek
- Ukrainian: робити комплімент
- Vietnamese: khen ngợi
Nearby words of
compliment
Related terms of
compliment
Source
Definition of compliment from the
Collins English Dictionary
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complement or compliment?
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