compliment
noun
com·pli·ment
| \ ˈkäm-plə-mənt
\
\
Definition of compliment
(Entry 1 of 2)
b
: formal and respectful recognition : honor
b
—used in the phrase compliments of to identify the donor or source of a gift or free item or service For less than $10, she gets transportation to the real-estate tycoon's casino, a voucher worth about $13 in cash, a meal ticket and a coupon good for $5 on her next visit—all compliments of the casino.— Julie Amparano —often used ironically to identify the source of something that is not wanted He received a speeding ticket, compliments of the state police.Add two more games to the list of area basketball postponements this week, compliments of wintry weather.— Marq Mitcham
compliment
verb
com·pli·ment
| \ ˈkäm-plə-ˌment
\
\
complimented;
complimenting;
compliments
Definition of compliment (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: to express esteem, respect, affection, or admiration to : to pay a compliment to
complimented the pianist on his performance
2
: to present with a token of esteem
complimented her with an honorary degree
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Examples of compliment in a Sentence
Noun
"The warden said he wouldn't let just anybody have a young swan, but he'd let you have one because you understand about birds, and he trusts you. That's quite a compliment, son." Mr. Beaver looked pleased. — E. B. White, The Trumpet Of The Swan, (1970) 2000 Boys in the Midwest grow up without a word of praise, their parents fearful that a compliment might make them vain … — Garrison Keillor, WLT: A Radio Romance, 1991 Mallard scowled at him. He had never learned to receive compliment or expressions of gratitude gracefully. — Dorothy Simpson, The Night She Died, 1981 The first presentation of Falstaff I ever saw was yours … Perhaps the best compliment I can pay is to say, as I truly can, I am very anxious to see it again. — Abraham Lincoln, letter, 17 Aug. 1863 He told her he admired her paintings and she returned the compliment by saying that she was a fan of his sculptures. When customers recommend our company to friends and family members, we consider that to be the highest compliment we can get.Verb
She was forever complimenting Ziba's exotic appearance and asking for her viewpoint on various international issues. — Anne Tyler, Digging to America, 2006 … she had gotten a three-and-a-half-star review in the Nut County Reporter, complimenting her especially on her crème brûlée and her pork medallions … — Jane Smiley, Good Faith, 2003 What a day. She had been winked at, complimented, given a gift, and now mistaken for the mysterious Alyce … — Karen Cushman, The Midwife's Apprentice, 1995 Wilde would compliment him later: 'I have always regarded you as the best critic of my plays.' 'But I have never criticised your plays,' said Tree. 'That's why,' said Wilde. — Richard Ellmann, Oscar Wilde, (1984) 1988 complimented her on her election victory
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Kane was impressive on the night, but stayed grounded in response to Zinedine Zidane's compliments before the game. — SI.com, "Harry Kane Reveals the Tactical Thinking Behind Spurs' Two-Striker System Against Real Madrid," 19 Oct. 2017 These outdoor markets feature unbelievable amounts of leather goods with sales people who are glad to entice customers with compliments and ridiculously cheap prices that are hard to resist. — Susan Huston, star-telegram, "Tips for purchasing custom leather items while in Italy," 4 Oct. 2017 After the game ends, E.J. Smith will be here to take your comments, complaints, and maybe even compliments. — Jonathan Tannenwald, Philly.com, "Philadelphia Eagles vs New York Giants - live updates," 24 Sep. 2017 The woman seems uncommonly excited about the encounter, showering Maria with extraordinary compliments. — Sam Sacks, WSJ, "Sam Sacks on the Best New Fiction," 28 July 2017 Sure, the senior tight end has been ultra-productive this season, but his teammates love to give him compliments that seem just a little backhanded. — Dave Southorn, idahostatesman, "Boise State’s touchdown maker ‘feeling the best I have’ after rough junior season," 3 Nov. 2017 Eagles fans might take that as a compliment, though. — Andrew Joseph, USA TODAY, "Redskins RB will keep family away from Eagles fans," 18 Oct. 2017 The event will feature door prizes and free babysitting, compliments of the Berea-MidPark High School Key Club. — Rich Heileman, cleveland.com, "BW brings 'Anything Goes' to Berea stage: Around The Town," 27 Oct. 2017Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Reacting to all of the action from the sidelines, Meghan Markle was dressed in a chambray shirt, complimented with a grey jacket and was consistently clapping in view of the fans at home. — Ashley Hoffman, Time, "Meghan Markle Showed Her Support for Serena Williams at the U.S. Open Because Game Recognizes Game," 7 Sep. 2019 Garner excitedly said when Uditi complimented her method for kneading the dough. — Eric Todisco, PEOPLE.com, "Jennifer Garner Has Her 'First and Only' Guest on Her Pretend Cooking Show for a Pizza Tutorial," 6 Sep. 2019 People started responding to my tweet with their bikini pictures, selfies, and messages complimenting each other. — Ashley Nicole Black, Glamour, "Ashley Nicole Black Is Having a Big Bitch Summer," 29 Aug. 2019 Trent Taylor’s foot injury could open up more opportunities for Hurd to make an early-season impact and Shanahan has complimented Hurd’s aggressive mentality as a pass-catcher. — Kevin Hanson, SI.com, "Fantasy Football 2019: 32 Bold Predictions on Cam Newton, Derrick Henry, More," 29 Aug. 2019 Allegedly, Ailes would frequently comment on Carlson’s body and instruct her to wear certain outfits that complimented her figure. — Elena Nicolaou, refinery29.com, "What You Need To Know Before Watching The Loudest Voice," 5 July 2019 Successful people hate their admirers and can’t stand being complimented. — Ty Burr, BostonGlobe.com, "Emma Thompson talks the talk in ‘Late Night’," 12 June 2019 Take your cues from George Clooney, who looked dapper in a grey suit with a yellow tie and pocket square for Harry and Meghan's nuptials last May. Tip: Choose a pocket square that compliments rather than matches your tie to look more polished. — Charlotte Chilton, Town & Country, "10 Outfits Every Man Should Wear This Summer," 18 Apr. 2019 Trent Taylor’s foot injury could open up more opportunities for Hurd to make an early-season impact and Shanahan has complimented Hurd’s aggressive mentality as a pass-catcher. — Kevin Hanson, SI.com, "Fantasy Football: NFC West Divisional Preview; Sleepers, Breakouts, More," 22 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'compliment.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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