“Complement” and “compliment” are easy to confuse. In fact, they come from the same Latin word, “complementum” which means “something that completes.” However, they have distinguished themselves from one another over time, and mistakenly using one for the other will slip by most spellchecking software
When to use Compliment
Compliment can be used as a noun or a verb to mean “an expression of praise”
- It’s simply saying something is good in some way
- John paid Suzy a nice compliment on her new dress.
- A thing cannot compliment or pay a compliment to another thing.
When to Use “Complement”
One thing must complement another thing, when being used as a verb.
- Objects complement other objects in these sentences. It’s rare for a person to “complement” something or someone.
- Suzy’s shoes complemented her dress.
Pop Quiz
The best poems are written in such a way that their forms (compliment, complement) their content.
- Answers: 1. complements, 2. compliments, 3. complement, 4. compliment, 5. complement
- compliment
- complimenting
- complimented
- complimented
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