compliment

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

His positional awareness has also earned praise although his work-rate and desire to cover as much ground as possible mean he often tires himself out - a potential backhanded compliment.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

He knows that “Marty Supreme” holds an unflattering mirror up to his own drive and allows that to become its own backhanded compliment to the thrill of watching an actor chase success at all costs.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026

We thought we owed him the opportunity after our criticism of his tariffs, and we’ll pay him the additional compliment of parsing his claims.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026

"The guy meant it as a compliment," said Pimenta.

From BBC • Feb. 1, 2026

They didn’t even compliment her, or mention how impressive she was.

From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day