damn (someone or something) with faint praise
damn (someone or something) with faint praise
To criticize or undermine someone or something by showing a lack of enthusiasm. I needed you to support me in there! The committee probably won't approve of my research project now that you've damned it with faint praise.
See also: damn, faint, praise
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
damn someone or something with faint praise
Fig. to criticize someone or something indirectly by not praising enthusiastically. The critic did not say that he disliked the play, but he damned it with faint praise. Mrs. Brown is very proud of her son's achievements, but damns her daughter's with faint praise.
See also: damn, faint, praise
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
damn with faint praise
Compliment so feebly that it amounts to no compliment at all, or even implies condemnation. For example, The reviewer damned the singer with faint praise, admiring her dress but not mentioning her voice . This idea was already expressed in Roman times by Favorinus (c. a.d. 110) but the actual expression comes from Alexander Pope's Epistle to Doctor Arbuthnot (1733): "Damn with faint praise, assent with civil leer, and, without sneering, teach the rest to sneer."
See also: damn, faint, praise
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
damn someone/something with faint praise
If you damn someone or something with faint praise, you praise them, but in such a weak way that it is obvious that you do not really have a high opinion of them. In recent months he has consistently damned the government with faint praise. Note: People occasionally use by instead of with. He has been damned by faint praise throughout his career even though he has scored all manner of important goals. Note: You can also just talk about faint praise. Mr Robinson called him `the most obvious candidate'. That sounds like faint praise. Note: This expression was first used by the English writer Alexander Pope in his `Epistle to Dr Arbuthnot' (1735): `Damn with faint praise, assent with civil leer, And, without sneering, teach the rest to sneer.'
See also: damn, faint, praise, someone, something
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.
damn someone or something with faint praise
praise someone or something so unenthusiastically as to imply condemnation.This expression comes from the poet Alexander Pope's ‘Epistle to Dr Arbuthnot’ ( 1735 ): ‘Damn with faint praise, assent with civil leer, And without sneering, teach the rest to sneer’.
1994 Canadian Defence Quarterly True there is the occasional condescending nod to those who served, but this frequently amounts to damning with faint praise.
See also: damn, faint, praise, someone, something
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
damn somebody/something with faint ˈpraise
praise somebody/something so little that you seem to be criticizing them/it: All he said was that I was ‘capable’. Talk about damning someone with faint praise!See also: damn, faint, praise, somebody, something
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
- damn somebody/something with faint praise
- damn someone or something with faint praise
- damn someone/something with faint praise
- damn with faint praise
- the knives are out
- be soft on (someone)
- strain at a gnat and swallow a camel
- strain at gnats and swallow camels