backhanded compliment

Meaning

1. 1nouncountableinformal

   A remark that sounds like praise but also carries a hidden criticism or insult.

   Grammar: Often introduced with an or as: that was a backhanded compliment.

   Patterns

   • pay someone a backhanded compliment
   • take something as a backhanded compliment

   Telling me I look good for my age was a real backhanded compliment.

   She called his cooking surprisingly edible, which he took as a backhanded compliment.

   I never know whether his comments are praise or just backhanded compliments.

Word forms

Common combinations

pay someone a backhanded compliment

My uncle paid me a backhanded compliment about my new haircut.

sound like a backhanded compliment

Your essay was better than I expected sounds like a backhanded compliment.

take it as a backhanded compliment

I decided to take it as a backhanded compliment and move on.

deliver a backhanded compliment

He delivered a backhanded compliment with a smile.

Synonyms and how they differ

left-handed compliment

It means the same thing but is the less common variant, used mostly in American English.

veiled insult

It stresses the insult and does not require any surface praise.

dig

It is a short, informal word for a mild criticism, with no pretended praise attached.

Opposites

Word family

compliment noun

a polite expression of praise

compliment verb

to praise someone politely

complimentary adjective

expressing praise; also free of charge

Commonly confused: backhanded compliment or complement?

Practice

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