Skip to content
E EnglishDart
B2

Complement vs Compliment

Complement (with E) means 'completes or goes well with' — the wine complements the meal. Compliment (with I) means 'a nice thing you say' — she paid me a compliment.

The one-line answer

Complement (with E) means 'completes or goes well with' — the wine complements the meal. Compliment (with I) means 'a nice thing you say' — she paid me a compliment.

complement

noun / verb

something that completes or goes well with another thing

  • The red wine complements the steak perfectly. (verb)
  • The scarf is a nice complement to her outfit. (noun)
  • The two skills complement each other well.

compliment

noun / verb

a polite expression of praise or admiration

  • He complimented her on her presentation. (verb)
  • That's the nicest compliment I've received. (noun)
  • Take it as a compliment — she was impressed.

Memory trick

ComplEment has an E like complEte — it completes. ComplIment has an I — 'I like giving compliments'.

Complement vs Compliment: Test yourself

Question 1 of 2

The wine really ___ the flavors of the dish.