Back-handed compliment meaning
What does the saying 'Back-handed compliment' mean?
Idiom: Back-handed compliment
Meaning:
A back-handed compliment is an insult or negative statement disguised as a compliment. For example "This dress doesn't fit me anymore so it would be great on you!"
Similar Idioms
- Left-handed compliment
- Water off a duck's back
- Back burner
- Fed up to the back teeth
- Cast your mind back
- Back to square one
- Back foot
- Talk out of the back of your head
- Behind someone's back
- Put or get someone's back up
- Back the wrong horse
- Fall off the back of a lorry
- Straw that broke the camel's back
- Back to the drawing board
- High-handed
- Heavy-handed
- By the back door
- Catch someone red-handed
- Back number
- Like the back of your hand
- Back to back
- Back to the salt mines
- Break the back of the beast
- Back to the wall
- Get the monkey off your back
- Be on the pig's back
- Have your lunch handed to you
- On my back
- Watch your back
- Make a rod for your own back
- Take a back seat
- Back-of-the-envelope calculation
- Give the shirt off your back
- Turn back the clock
- You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours
- Get back on the horse that bucked you
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See also:
- View examples in Google: Back-handed compliment
- Idiom Quizzes