Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsPositivityPersonal TraitsIntelligence and CreativityAccomplishmentsPersonal RelationshipsAppearanceWhole Person
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Positivity
Personal Traits
Intelligence and Creativity
Accomplishments
Personal Relationships
Appearance
Whole Person
Close
A compliment is an expression of regard, admiration, praise, or respect. It feels great to receive a compliment. Research shows getting a sincere compliment gives us the same positive boost as receiving cash. The health and happiness benefits of thecompliment giverare also well-documented.
There’s emotional reciprocity involved with giving compliments. Seeing someone else happy, especially when you were the one who made them happy, in turn makes you happy. It’s one of the simplest ways to boost someone else’s mood as well as your own.—HANNAH OWENS, LMSW
There’s emotional reciprocity involved with giving compliments. Seeing someone else happy, especially when you were the one who made them happy, in turn makes you happy. It’s one of the simplest ways to boost someone else’s mood as well as your own.
—HANNAH OWENS, LMSW
Compliments really are one of the easiest two-way streets available tospread happinessaround you andincrease your own. The more you compliment, the better you feel. We know it can feel awkward sometimes to dish out a compliment—and to receive one—but the more practice you get, the more natural it will feel.
Here are a hundred ready-made compliments to try out for yourself. Such compliments can work for almost any situation, whether you compliment a friend, colleague, or loved one.
Verywell / Nusha Ashjaee
100 Words of Encouragement for Any Situation
Complimenting Positivity
These compliments focus on the joy, fun, and positive outlook a person brings. It’s not easy tostay positiveall the time, so it’s important to let someone know when they have a positive impact on you and those around them:
Complimenting Personal Traits
These compliments acknowledge different qualities a person exhibits. We are often veryself-consciousabout different aspects of our lives and worried about how others perceive us. Compliments along these lines can go a long way to making someone feel a bit more comfortable in their own skin:
Complimenting Intelligence, Creativity, and Resourcefulness
These compliments show that you appreciate a person’s abilities. When we work hard at something, it’s nice to be recognized for it, right? That doesn’t always have to come in the form of major accolades or tangible rewards—sometimes a pointed observation or compliment will do the trick:
Complimenting Accomplishments
It is often good to compliment a specific action or achievement, especially when you know someone has worked hard to get where they are. This kind of positive reinforcement can be hugely motivating:
Complimenting Personal Relationships
How do you compliment a friend? Sometimes it can be tough to actually verbalize what someone means to you in a way that won’t sound too cheesy. Try using these compliments that focus on how your friend relates to others.
Complimenting Appearance
These compliments can be problematic, as complimenting appearance can come across asflirting, and so they should be avoided in many business and social contexts. Complimenting one’s appearance (body, shape, or weight) can also be harmful, especially to someone who is struggling with an eating disorder or body image issue.
Complimenting a Romantic Interest
If you want to compliment someone you are interested in romantically or sexually, be polite, recognize the contexts in which such compliments are appropriate, and pay attention to the tone of voice and body language. Respect the other person’s boundaries if your compliments seem unwelcome.
Rather than focusing on aspects of their physical body, consider complimenting something like their style, talents, or behaviors. For example, you might say something like:
If you want to compliment someone you are in a relationship with, you might mention how they make you feel, how much you enjoy seeing them each day, or how creative and talented they are.
Complimenting the Whole Person
These compliments may be a little too general. As with complimenting appearance, consider whether they are appropriate or may be bordering on flirtatious:
Keep in Mind
Start complimenting and find out for yourself how great it makes you feel. If you pick any of these, be sure to personalize it so it truly reflects what you appreciate about the person you are complimenting.
1 SourceVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Sugawara SK, Tanaka S, Okazaki S, Watanabe K, Sadato N.Social rewards enhance offline improvements in motor skill.PLoS ONE. 2012;7(11):e48174. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0048174Additional ReadingSugawara SK, Tanaka S, Okazaki S, Watanabe K, Sadato N.Social Rewards Enhance Offline Improvements in Motor Skill.PLoS ONE. 2012;7(11). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0048174.
1 Source
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Sugawara SK, Tanaka S, Okazaki S, Watanabe K, Sadato N.Social rewards enhance offline improvements in motor skill.PLoS ONE. 2012;7(11):e48174. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0048174Additional ReadingSugawara SK, Tanaka S, Okazaki S, Watanabe K, Sadato N.Social Rewards Enhance Offline Improvements in Motor Skill.PLoS ONE. 2012;7(11). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0048174.
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Sugawara SK, Tanaka S, Okazaki S, Watanabe K, Sadato N.Social rewards enhance offline improvements in motor skill.PLoS ONE. 2012;7(11):e48174. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0048174
Sugawara SK, Tanaka S, Okazaki S, Watanabe K, Sadato N.Social Rewards Enhance Offline Improvements in Motor Skill.PLoS ONE. 2012;7(11). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0048174.
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