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Meaning & use

damning with faint praise

phrase·Advancedformal

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UK/ˈdæmɪŋ wɪð feɪnt preɪz/
US/ˈdæmɪŋ wɪθ feɪnt preɪz/

Meanings

  1. phraseidiomformal

    Hinting at a low opinion of someone or something by giving only mild, unenthusiastic approval.

    Grammar: The base form is damn someone or something with faint praise, and it takes an object.

    Patterns

    • damn someone with faint praise
    • damn something with faint praise

    Calling her singing 'quite adequate' was damning her with faint praise.

    The reviewer was damning the film with faint praise when he said it was 'not unwatchable'.

    Saying the meal was 'filling' is damning it with faint praise.

  2. phraseidiomformal

    Describing a remark whose lukewarm tone reveals that the speaker secretly disapproves.

    Grammar: Often used as a comment about someone else's words: that was damning with faint praise.

    Patterns

    • be damning with faint praise

    Her reference letter was damning with faint praise, listing only that he arrived on time.

    Describing a rival's plan as 'interesting' can be damning with faint praise.

    I felt the manager was damning with faint praise when he called my work 'fine'.

Word forms

base formdamn with faint praise
past tensedamned with faint praise

Common combinations

accused of damning with faint praise
The critic was accused of damning with faint praise.
a case of damning with faint praise
His comment about her cooking was a case of damning with faint praise.
seem to damn with faint praise
The review seemed to damn the book with faint praise.
guilty of damning with faint praise
The coach was guilty of damning with faint praise.

Synonyms and how they differ

backhanded compliment
A backhanded compliment sounds kind but hides an insult, while damning with faint praise works by deliberately saying too little.
underwhelming
Underwhelming describes a weak reaction or result, but does not imply the speaker is hiding disapproval like damning with faint praise does.
lukewarm
Lukewarm describes unenthusiastic feeling, whereas damning with faint praise is a deliberate way of criticizing through it.

Opposites

praising to the skieslavishing praise

Word family

damn verb
to condemn or criticize severely
damning adjective
strongly critical or proving guilt
faint adjective
weak or slight
praise noun
words of approval

Commonly confused: damning with faint praise or faint praise?

damning with faint praise vs faint praise

Faint praise is the weak approval itself. Damning with faint praise is the act of insulting through it.

Practice

When the teacher said Mia's essay was 'neat and tidy' without commenting on the ideas, was she praising it?

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