complement and compliment (noun and verb)
A complement adds to the quality of something, or goes well with it. The verb complement has a similar meaning.
- Dinner at Antonio’s – the perfect complement to your evening at the opera.
- They have very different personalities, but they complement each other.
A compliment is an expression of praise or admiration. The verb compliment has a similar meaning.
- My new hairstyle is getting a lot of compliments.
- I must compliment you on your exam results.
Both nouns are pronounced /ˈkɔmplɪmənt/. Both verbs are pronounced /ˈkɔmplɪment/.
note
For the grammatical meaning of complement, see Language Terminology.