pay (one) a compliment
pay (one) a compliment
To compliment one; to give one a piece of praise. It took me a little while to realize that he was paying me a compliment. It isn't often she pays her employees compliments, so you should really feel proud.
See also: compliment, pay
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
pay someone compliment
Fig. to give someone a compliment. Tom paid Bill a compliment when he told him he was intelligent. Mary was very gracious when Anne paid her a compliment.
See also: compliment, pay
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
pay a compliment
Express praise or commendation to someone, as in Meredith wanted to pay Christopher a compliment so she told him she liked his new haircut . This expression uses pay in the sense of "give something that is due." [c. 1700]
See also: compliment, pay
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
- pay a compliment
- pay compliment
- return the compliment
- as one door closes, another (one) opens
- as one door closes, another one opens
- as one door closes, another opens
- 1FTR
- pay (one) a backhanded compliment
- pay (one) a left-handed compliment
- pay a backhanded compliment