backhanded compliments

A form of backhanded compliment — An insult disguised as a compliment; a compliment which can be interpreted as an insult.

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Meanings

noun
  1. pluralplural of backhanded compliment
Cite this entry
APA

backhanded compliments. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/backhanded%20compliments

MLA

“backhanded compliments.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/backhanded%20compliments. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “backhanded compliments,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/backhanded%20compliments.

Source: backhanded compliments on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.