compliments

compliments — 名詞

1. A spoken or written comment that shows you admire or approve of someone's qualit

1.名詞B1
釋義

稱讚；讚美

表達肯定或欣賞的口頭或書面話語

A spoken or written comment that shows you admire or approve of someone's qualities, work, or actions.

例句

Mei-Lin received several compliments on her presentation at the annual sales conference.

美琳在年度銷售會議上的簡報獲得了好幾句稱讚。

receive compliments on [something]

When the chef came out, the customers paid her a compliment by ordering the same dish again.

主廚走出來時，客人又點了同樣的菜，用行動給了最高的讚美。

pay [somebody] a compliment

同義詞
  • praise

    more general; can refer to admiration expressed in any form, not necessarily a single remark

  • flattery

    often suggests insincere or excessive praise given to please someone

  • tribute

    more formal; often a public action or statement honouring someone's achievements

反義詞
  • criticism

    an expression of disapproval or fault-finding

  • insult

    a rude or offensive remark, the opposite of a compliment

用法筆記

This noun is countable — you can give someone a compliment, pay someone a compliment, or receive a compliment. The singular form compliment refers to one such remark.

常見錯誤

❌The teacher gave me a compliment on my homework.' (grammatically OK but uncommon with 'gave').
✅The teacher paid me a compliment on my homework.
💡'pay a compliment' is the standard collocation, not 'give a compliment'.
❌He said me a compliment.
✅He paid me a compliment.
💡'say someone a compliment' is incorrect; use 'pay someone a compliment.'

2. Something you do — rather than say — that shows respect, admiration, or recognit

2.名詞B2
釋義

致意

以行動表達敬意或認可

Something you do — rather than say — that shows respect, admiration, or recognition toward another person or group.

例句

The ambassador's visit was a great compliment to the small research centre in the countryside.

大使的來訪對這座位於鄉間的小型研究中心是極大的致意。

a compliment to [somebody/something]

Yuki considered it the highest compliment when her professor asked her to co-author the journal article.

Yuki 覺得教授邀請她合寫期刊論文，就是最高的肯定。

highest compliment

同義詞
  • honour

    stronger; suggests a formal privilege or distinction

  • tribute

    implies a deliberate act of respect, often public

  • recognition

    focuses on acknowledging someone's value or achievement

反義詞
  • disrespect

    lack of respect or regard

  • snub

    an intentional failure to show respect or attention

用法筆記

Frequently used in the pattern 'a compliment to [someone/something]' to describe an action that honours its recipient. This sense is more formal than sense 1 and describes deeds rather than spoken words.

常見錯誤

❌Coming to the party was a compliment for her.' (preposition error).
✅Coming to the party was a compliment to her.
💡use 'to', not 'for', after 'a compliment.'

3. A polite message of good wishes or friendly greetings, often sent in a letter, c

3.名詞B1
釋義

問候；祝福

書信卡片中的祝福用語

A polite message of good wishes or friendly greetings, often sent in a letter, card, or email at special occasions.

例句

We send our warmest compliments to the newlyweds on this joyful day.

我們在這個喜慶的日子裡，向這對新人致上最溫暖的祝福。

send compliments to [somebody]

Grandma always closed her postcards with the same line: 'With love and compliments, Grandma.'

奶奶總是在明信片結尾寫著：「愛與祝福，奶奶。」

同義詞
  • regards

    slightly more neutral; used in closing a message without the warmth of 'compliments'

  • greetings

    more general; can be used in any situation where you convey friendly sentiment

  • best wishes

    warmer and more personal; often used in cards and letters

用法筆記

Always used in the plural form ('compliments', not 'compliment') when sending greetings. Common closing formulas include 'With compliments' and 'Compliments of the season.'

常見錯誤

❌Please accept my compliment of the season.' (wrong number).
✅Please accept my compliments of the season.
💡this traditional greeting uses the plural form.
❌Give my compliment to your brother.' (singular — sounds unnatural).
✅Give my compliments to your brother.
💡always use plural for greetings.

4. Used with the word 'with' to indicate that something is provided to a person wit

4.名詞B2
釋義

贈送

免費致贈

Used with the word 'with' to indicate that something is provided to a person without charge, usually as a courtesy from a business or organisation.

例句

The hotel left a fruit basket in the room with the manager's compliments.

飯店在房間裡留下了一籃水果，並附上經理致贈的卡片。

with [somebody]'s compliments

A complimentary bottle of wine arrived at the table with the chef's compliments.

一瓶免費的葡萄酒被送到了桌上，是主廚招待的。

with the chef's compliments

同義詞
  • complimentary

    adjective form; describes the item that is given free, e.g. 'complimentary tickets'

  • free of charge

    more direct and less formal; simply states no payment is needed

反義詞
  • paid for

    the opposite of receiving something free — the recipient bears the cost

文法句型

with + possessive + compliments

用法筆記

Always appears in the fixed phrase 'with [someone's] compliments' or 'with the compliments of [someone].' It is not used outside this pattern. Typically found on printed notes, gift tags, or menus in upmarket establishments.

常見錯誤

❌The pen came with the compliment of the bank.' (singular form).
✅The pen came with the compliments of the bank.
💡always plural in this fixed expression.

compliments — 動詞