complement
- compliment
These words can both be verbs or nouns. When they are verbs, they are pronounced /^kɒmplɪment/. When they are nouns, they are pronounced /^kɒmplɪmənt/.
‘complement’
If one thing complements another, the two things increase each other's good qualities when they are brought together.
Nutmeg, parsley and cider all complement the flavour of these beans well.
Current advances in hardware development nicely complement British software skills.
*
‘compliment’
If you compliment someone, you tell them that you admire something that they have or something that they have done.
They complimented me on the way I looked.
She is to be complimented for handling the situation so well.
A compliment is something that you do or say to someone to show your admiration for them.
She took his acceptance as a great compliment.
You say that you pay someone a compliment.
He knew that he had just been paid a great compliment.