Meaning & use
backhanded insults
Last updated
Meaning
phraseplural
Remarks that seem like praise but actually criticize or hurt the person they are about.
Grammar: Plural noun phrase; use with a plural verb: 'Backhanded insults are hurtful.' Singular form is 'a backhanded insult'.
Patterns
- a backhanded insult
- backhanded insults about someone
- pay someone a backhanded insult
Saying 'You're smart for someone who didn't go to college' is a backhanded insult.
She kept making backhanded insults about his cooking, like 'It's actually edible this time.'
His compliment about her 'interesting' dress was really a backhanded insult.
Word forms
| singular | backhanded insult |
|---|
Common combinations
- a backhanded compliment
- He paid her a backhanded compliment by saying she looked good for her age.
- make a backhanded insult
- He made a backhanded insult about her promotion.
- backhanded insult about someone
- She made a backhanded insult about his driving.
Synonyms and how they differ
- left-handed compliment
- A compliment that is actually an insult; similar to a backhanded insult, but 'backhanded insult' is more direct about the insulting effect.
- veiled insult
- An insult that is hidden or indirect; a backhanded insult is often disguised as praise, while a veiled insult may be hidden in other ways.
Opposites
Commonly confused: backhanded insults or backhanded compliment?
backhanded insults vs backhanded compliment
A backhanded compliment sounds like praise but is insulting; 'backhanded insult' is similar but focuses on the insulting part.
Practice
Which of these is a backhanded insult?
Choose one answer.
'You're surprisingly good at this for a beginner' sounds like praise but implies the person is not expected to be good, so it is a backhanded insult. The others are genuine compliments.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “backhanded insults”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.