Understanding the Difference: Complement vs Compliment

Have you ever been in a situation where you wanted to give someone a compliment, but ended up using the word “complement” instead?

Or maybe you wanted to describe two things that fit together perfectly, but mistakenly used the word “compliment”?

The English language is sometimes very tricky, isn’t it?

Complement and compliment are two words that are commonly confused and used interchangeably, but they actually have different meanings and uses.

In this post, we’ll dive into the difference between “complement” and “compliment” and provide clear examples to help you avoid mix-ups in the future.

Grammatical Function

The first step in understanding the difference between “complement” and “compliment” is to understand their grammatical functions.

Complement

Complement is a noun that refers to something that completes or makes something else better. It can also refer to the total number of things that are needed to complete a set. In grammar, a complement is a word, phrase, or clause that is necessary to complete the meaning of a subject and verb in a sentence.

Examples:

• The red shoes are a perfect complement to her dress. (noun)
• His insightful comments provided a valuable complement to the presentation. (noun)
• The tomato sauce is the complement that makes the dish complete. (noun)
• The subject and verb in the sentence “The sky is blue” form a complete thought and do not require a complement. (grammar)

Compliment

On the other hand, “compliment” is a noun or verb that refers to an expression of praise, admiration, or respect.

Examples:

• She received compliments on her new haircut. (noun)
• He complimented her on her cooking skills. (verb)
• The boss’s compliments made her day. (noun)
• The customer gave the waiter a compliment for his excellent service. (noun)

Usage

Now that we’ve looked at the grammatical functions of “complement” and “compliment”, let’s explore their correct usage in a sentence.

Complement

Complement is used when referring to something that completes or makes something else better. It can also refer to the total number of things needed to complete a set.

Examples:

• The red shoes are a perfect complement to her dress.
• His insightful comments provided a valuable complement to the presentation.
• The tomato sauce is the complement that makes the dish complete.

Compliment

On the other hand, “compliment” is used when expressing praise, admiration, or respect for someone or something.

Examples:

• She received compliments on her new haircut.
• He complimented her on her cooking skills.
• The boss’s compliments made her day.
• The customer gave the waiter a compliment for his excellent service.

Quiz

Now that we’ve covered the grammatical functions and usages of “complement” and “compliment”, let’s look at some clear examples to help illustrate the difference.

• The green curtains are a nice ________ to the yellow walls in the living room. (complement)
• She was given a lot of ________ for her hard work on the project. (compliments)
• The dessert was the perfect ________ to the meal. (complement)
• He always ________ his friends on their achievements. (compliments)
• The blueberry muffin was a delicious ________ to my coffee. (complement)
• She received many ________ on her performance. (compliments)
• The rug was a great ________ to the hardwood floor. (complement)
• He ________ her on her ability to speak multiple languages. (complimented)
• The painting was a beautiful ________ to the room. (complement)
• He always ________ his classmates on their successes. (compliments)

Conclusion

So there you have it, a comprehensive look at the difference between “complement” and “compliment”. We hope this post has cleared up any confusion and helped you understand the correct use of these two words. To recap, “complement” refers to something that completes or makes something else better, while “compliment” refers to an expression of praise, admiration, or respect. To remember the difference, just think of “complement” as something that completes and “compliment” as something that praises.

Recommended Reads

Here are some recommended external resources for you to learn more about the usage of “complement” and “compliment”:

1. Grammarly: The Difference Between Complement and Compliment
2. The New York Times: The Differences Between Complement and Compliment
3. Merriam-Webster: Complement vs. Compliment
4. The Cambridge Dictionary: Complement vs. Compliment
5. The English Club: Complement vs. Compliment

These links are a great starting point for further exploration and a deeper understanding of the difference between “complement” and “compliment”. Happy reading!