backhanded compliment
backhanded compliment
Meaning: ambiguous statement – one that can be taken as a compliment, but which might also be seen as an insult.
Example: She told him that he looked much better than he usually did, which was a bit of a backhanded compliment.
Idiom of the Day
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2 Thoughts
Numerous literary critics from Eastern Europe are witty and use backhanded compliments in their book reviews.
- Maryna April 7, 2021
Backhanded compliment means a statement that can be understood in good and bad sense.
- Kiran Dhaliwal January 16, 2016