Meaning & use
backhanded
Given in a way that seems complimentary but is actually critical or insulting.
See it in a sentence
'You look great for your age' is a classic backhanded compliment.
He returned the shot with a smooth backhanded stroke across the court.
A note on using this word
Backhanded almost always modifies 'compliment' in everyday speech, but it also describes a tennis or badminton stroke played across the body.
Words with a similar meaning
insinceresarcastic
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
Another way to use it
2. adjective
Describing a stroke in sports such as tennis, played with the back of the hand leading.
She won the point with a powerful backhanded return down the line.
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