a back-handed compliment

(British, American & Australian) also a left-handed compliment (American)

a remark which seems approving but which is also negative He gave me that classic back-handed compliment. He said I played football very well 'for a woman'.

See return the compliment

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Hopcyn	-	Welsh
Armide	-	Literature
Nur Ad-Din	-	Arabic
Reuven	-	Hebrew, Biblical Hebrew
Lala	-	Bulgarian
Naum	-	Russian, Bulgarian, Macedonian