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"Pay [someone] a backhanded compliment" có từ backhanded nghĩa là nửa đùa nửa thật, hai nghĩa -> cụm từ này nghĩa là khen ai một cách châm chọc [lời khen có thể hiểu là khen cũng có thể là chê bai].
Ví dụ
Last year’s edition was topped by “Get Out” and “Twin Peaks: The Return,” a TV series that many critics [nhà phê bình] chose to pay a backhanded compliment to by claiming it as a movie.
Rafael Van Der Vaart, Ronaldo's old teammate from Real Madrid, has chosen now to stick the knife in, or pay a backhanded compliment, depending on your reading, suggesting that the 31-year-old has little of interest about him.
Bill Donohue of the Catholic League, a Catholic anti-defamation organization, says he finds the candles more silly than offensive. “By definition, a celebrity doesn’t need a PR presence, so the likely motivating force is narcissism [tính tự yêu mình],” he says. “By ripping off Catholic iconography [sự mô tả bằng hình tượng], these celebs pay a backhanded compliment to the Catholic Church in their quest for notoriety [sự tai tiếng].”
Thảo Nguyễn
Bài trước: "Pay him back with interest" nghĩa là gì?
“Compliment” và “Complement” hai từ này được phát âm giống nhau nhưng cách viết khác nhau và có ý nghĩa khác nhau.
Cùng Elight Learning English tìm hiểu về ý nghĩa của 2 từ này nhé.
Compliment /ˈkɒm.plɪ.mənt/ [danh từ, động từ]
“Compliment” có thể là danh từ hoặc động từ.
Compliment – danh từ
Khi là danh từ, compliment có nghĩa là lời khen, là một lời bình luận tích cực về ai đó hoặc thứ gì đó.
Ví dụ:
He paid me a compliment on my web design skills.
[Anh ấy khen kỹ năng thiết kế trang web của tôi.]
Động từ compliment [hoặc cụm từ “pay someone a compliment”] có nghĩa là khen ai đó.
Ví dụ:
He complimented me on my web design skills.
[Anh ấy khen kỹ năng thiết kế trang web của tôi.]
Complement /ˈkɒm.plɪ.mənt/ [danh từ, động từ]
“Complement” có thể là danh từ hoặc động từ.
Complement – danh từ
Khi là danh từ Complement có nghĩa là sự kết hợp, sự bổ sung hoặc phần được bổ sung.
That necklace is the perfect complement to your outfit.
[Sợi dây chuyền đó là sự kết hợp hoàn hảo với bộ cánh của chị.]
Ví dụ:
The wine is a nice complement to the food.
[Rượu là món tuyệt vời để bổ sung cho đồ ăn]“complement” = danh từ.
Complement – động từ
Nghĩa: bổ sung
My business partner and I really complement each other. We make a good team.
[Đối tác kinh doanh và tôi bổ sung cho nhau. Chúng tôi là một nhóm hoàn hảo.]
to pay someone a compliment: to give someone a compliment, to offer someone an admiring comment
khen ngợi
Example: Isn’t it wonderful to pay someone a compliment? It makes them feel good, and it doesn’t cost you anything.
Nguồn: Real Life English – Amy Gillet
Bản dịch: Giáo sư Lê Tôn Hiến
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n. phr. A remark that sounds like a compliment but is said sarcastically. "Not had for a girl" the coach said, offering a backhanded compliment.compliment
see left-handed compliment; pay a compliment; return the compliment.hint that he wants a compliment If Al mentions cars, he's fishing for a compliment on his Jaguar.v, phr. To try to make someone pay a compliment. When Jim showed me his new car, I could tell that he was fishing for a compliment.an ambiguous compliment interpreted as offensive He gave her a left-handed compliment when he said that her dyed hair looked nice.An ambiguous compliment which is interpretable as an offense. I didn't know you could look so pretty! Is that a wig you're wearing?say nice things about, say you did a good job Tony paid you a compliment, Rita. He said you have a lovely garden.Idiom[s]: pay someone a back-handed compliment AND pay someone a left-handed compliment
Theme: COMPLIMENT
to give someone a false compliment that is really an insult.• John said that he had never seen me looking better. I think he was paying me a left-handed compliment.• I'd prefer that someone insulted me directly. I hate it when someone pays me a back-handed compliment—unless it's a joke. Idiom[s]: pay sb a compliment
Theme: COMPLIMENT
to compliment someone.• Sally thanked me for paying her a compliment.• When Tom did his job well, I paid him a compliment. Idiom[s]: pay someone a back-handed compliment AND pay someone a left-handed compliment
Theme: COMPLIMENT
to give someone a false compliment that is really an insult.• John said that he had never seen me looking better. I think he was paying me a left-handed compliment.• I'd prefer that someone insulted me directly. I hate it when someone pays me a back-handed compliment—unless it's a joke. Idiom[s]: return the compliment AND return someone's compliment
Theme: RECIPROCITY
to pay a compliment to someone who has paid you a compliment.• Mary told me that my hair looked nice, so I returned her compliment and told her that her hair was lovely.• When someone says something nice, it is polite to return the compliment. 1．say or do the same to sb． that he has said or done to one回敬Mary said：“I love your new hairdo．” and Julie returned the compliment with“what a pretty dress you're wearing，Mary．”玛丽说：“我喜欢你的新发型。”朱丽回答说：“玛丽，你穿的衣服好漂亮啊。”2． Pay sb． back回报；报复Henry hit Jerry on the head，and Jerry returned the compliment．亨利打了杰里头上一拳，杰里也对亨利报以一拳。revenge oneself（up）on…（for）get even with…for为…而向…报仇Hamlet revenged himself on his uncle，for his father's death．哈姆雷特向叔父报了杀父之仇。
He is sure to revenge himself on anyone who dares to bully or insult him．对胆敢欺负和侮辱他的人，他是一定要报复的。
v. phr. To say or do the same to someone that he has said or done to you; pay someone back. Mary said, "I love your new hairdo" and Suzy returned the compliment with "What a pretty dress you're wearing, Mary." John punched Jerry in the nose, and Jerry returned the compliment.Idiom[s]: pay sb a compliment
Theme: COMPLIMENT
to compliment someone.• Sally thanked me for paying her a compliment.• When Tom did his job well, I paid him a compliment. Idiom[s]: pay sb a compliment
Theme: COMPLIMENT
to compliment someone.• Sally thanked me for paying her a compliment.• When Tom did his job well, I paid him a compliment.