backhanded

Meanings

1. 1adjectivebefore a noun

   Seeming to praise someone but actually expressing criticism or insult.

   Grammar: Usually comes before a noun, especially 'compliment': a backhanded compliment.

   Patterns

   • backhanded compliment
   • a backhanded way of doing something

   He paid her a backhanded compliment by saying she looked good for her age.

   Calling the film 'surprisingly watchable' felt like a backhanded compliment.

   She gave a backhanded apology, blaming everyone else at the same time.

2. 2adjectivebefore a nounsport

   In sports like tennis, describing a stroke made with the back of the hand facing forward.

   Grammar: Used before nouns like 'stroke', 'shot', or 'volley'.

   Patterns

   • backhanded stroke
   • backhanded shot

   She won the point with a powerful backhanded shot down the line.

   His backhanded volley surprised the opponent at the net.

Common combinations

backhanded compliment

Saying 'You're smart for someone who didn't go to university' is a backhanded compliment.

backhanded remark

Her backhanded remark about his cooking made everyone uncomfortable.

backhanded way

He offered help in a backhanded way that made her feel useless.

backhanded stroke

He practiced his backhanded stroke for hours before the match.

Synonyms and how they differ

left-handed

Can also mean a doubtful or indirect compliment, but it is less common and more informal.

double-edged

Describes something that has both a good and a bad effect, not necessarily a hidden insult.

Opposites

Word family

backhand noun

A stroke in tennis made with the back of the hand facing forward.

backhandedly adverb

In a way that seems to praise but actually criticizes.

Commonly confused: backhanded or backhand?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “backhanded”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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