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 was a keen student of dialect; doing movies in the South, he meandered down backroads, learning just the right way to frame a question in rural Mississippi or deliver a compliment in west Texas.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 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

That No 10 feels the need to criticise the Greens is a backhanded compliment that shows they matter.

From BBC • Jan. 31, 2026

Aunt Kitty may have heard enough, but my ears never tired of listening to Mr. Pinkerton and Detective Webster compliment my performance.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan