compliment me

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "compliment me" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when asking someone to give you praise or express admiration. Example: "If you like my outfit, please compliment me." Alternative expressions include "praise me" and "flatter me."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Lifestyle

Personal Narrative

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

57 human-written examples

Compliment ME, not my body.

Huffington Post

They compliment me on my nice suit.

The Guardian - Film

I'm glad he would compliment me that way".

The New York Times - Sports

"Strangers would compliment me on it when I was out and about.

The New York Times

When the shad roe arrived, the wine steward came by to compliment me again.

The New York Times - Arts

And a tremendous number of those letters and tweets compliment me on my own neck.

The New Yorker

He said Jason sometimes smoldered and said, "Dad, you never compliment me when I do good".

The New York Times - Sports

Everyone's got their animals out and people come by and compliment me for hours.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

3 human-written examples

"People kept complimenting me".

The New York Times

He complimented me on it, in fact.

The New Yorker

He even complimented me on the potatoes.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In professional settings, consider replacing "compliment me" with more specific terms like "recognize my contributions" or "provide positive feedback" to sound more task-oriented.

Common error

Avoid the common homophone error where "complement" (meaning to complete or enhance) is used instead of "compliment" (meaning to praise). Writing "that wine will compliment me" suggests the wine is speaking to you, whereas "complement me" means the wine enhances your qualities.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "compliment me" functions as a transitive verb phrase where "compliment" is the action and "me" is the direct object. According to Ludwig AI, it is most frequently used in active voice to describe interpersonal communication, though it also appears in negative imperatives or infinitive constructions following auxiliary verbs.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

85%

Social Media

10%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Science

1%

Encyclopedias

1%

Wiki

3%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "compliment me" is a robust and grammatically correct staple of the English language. Ludwig AI data shows its prevalence in high-tier journalism, particularly in narratives involving personal growth, relationships, and social observation. Whether used to describe a stranger's kindness or a relative's lack of support, the phrase effectively communicates the human need for recognition. Writers should be careful not to confuse it with its homophone "complement", but otherwise, they can use it confidently across neutral and informal registers.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

pay me a compliment

Uses the idiomatic noun form, often sounding more natural in conversational English.

give me a compliment

A common transitive construction synonymous with the main query.

praise me

Slightly broader and can imply a higher level of approval or formal recognition.

flatter me

Carries a nuance of excessive or potentially insincere praise.

say something nice to me

A more descriptive and informal way to request a positive comment.

commend me

A more formal alternative often used in professional or official contexts.

applaud me

Can be used metaphorically for vocal praise or literally for physical applause.

extol my virtues

A much more formal and literary expression of high praise.

laud me

Highly formal and academic, typically reserved for public or historical recognition.

validate me

Focuses on the emotional result of the praise rather than the speech act itself.

FAQs

How do I use "compliment me" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe an action, such as "He likes to "compliment me on my work"" or as a request, "Please don't "compliment me" just to be polite".

What is the difference between "compliment me" and "complement me"?

To "compliment me" is to give you praise, while to ""complement me"" means that something or someone else completes you or makes you look better by association.

Is it "compliment me on" or "compliment me for"?

Both are used, but "compliment me on" is generally more common for specific attributes (like a dress or a skill), while "compliment me for" often precedes a gerund or an action (like for doing a good job).

What can I say instead of "compliment me" in a business context?

In professional writing, you might prefer "acknowledge my efforts", "praise my performance" or "commend my work".