Meanings
verbfish for compliments (third-person singular simple present fishes for compliments, present participle fishing for compliments, simple past and past participle fished for compliments)
present singular third person fishes for compliments · participle present fishing for compliments · participle past fished for compliments · past fished for compliments
- intransitiveTo self-deprecate in order to induce someone to make a compliment.
He’s so narcissistic! He whines that he’s ugly and unlikeable just to fish for compliments.
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 沽名釣譽, 沽名钓誉
- 沽名釣譽try to induce someone to make a compliment
- 沽名钓誉 (gūmíngdiàoyù)try to induce someone to make a compliment
- 故意要別人說讚揚話 /故意要别人说赞扬话try to induce someone to make a compliment
- 故意要别人说赞扬话 (gùyì yào biérén shuō zànyánghuà)try to induce someone to make a compliment
- 極力獲取別人稱讚 /极力获取别人称赞 (jílì huòqǔ biérén chēngzàn)try to induce someone to make a compliment
- 极力获取别人称赞 (jílì huòqǔ biérén chēngzàn)try to induce someone to make a compliment
Danish angle efter ros
- angle efter rostry to induce someone to make a compliment
Finnish kerjätä kohteliaisuuksia
- kerjätä kohteliaisuuksiatry to induce someone to make a compliment
Russian напра́шиваться на комплименты
- напра́шиваться на комплименты (naprášivatʹsja na komplimenty)try to induce someone to make a compliment
Cite this entry
APA
fish for compliments. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fish%20for%20compliments
MLA
“fish for compliments.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fish%20for%20compliments. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fish for compliments,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fish%20for%20compliments.
Source: fish for compliments on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.