compliment
verb/ˈkɒmplɪment/
/ˈkɑːmplɪment/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they compliment | /ˈkɒmplɪment/ /ˈkɑːmplɪment/ |
| he / she / it compliments | /ˈkɒmplɪments/ /ˈkɑːmplɪments/ |
| past simple complimented | /ˈkɒmplɪmentɪd/ /ˈkɑːmplɪmentɪd/ |
| past participle complimented | /ˈkɒmplɪmentɪd/ /ˈkɑːmplɪmentɪd/ |
| -ing form complimenting | /ˈkɒmplɪmentɪŋ/ /ˈkɑːmplɪmentɪŋ/ |
- compliment somebody (on something) to tell somebody that you like or admire something they have done, their appearance, etc.
- She complimented him on his excellent German.
Which Word? compliment / complementcompliment / complement- These words have similar spellings but completely different meanings. If you compliment someone, you say something very nice to them:
- She complimented me on my English.
- The different flavours complement each other perfectly.
- The adjectives are also often confused. Complimentary:
- She made some very complimentary remarks about my English.
- There was a complimentary basket of fruit in our room.
- The team members have different but complementary skills.
Word Originmid 17th cent.: from French compliment (noun), complimenter (verb), from Italian complimento ‘fulfilment of the requirements of courtesy’, from Latin complementum ‘completion, fulfilment’ (reflected in the earlier English spelling complement, gradually replaced by the French form between 1655 and 1715).Definitions on the go
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compliment