Complimentary
Complimentary adjective - Expressing approval.
Usage example: the novel received overwhelmingly complimentary reviews
Nearby Words: compliment, complimented
Disparaging
Disparaging adjective - Intended to make a person or thing seem of little importance or value.
Usage example: disparaging comments about the lack of talent among the musical performers
Both words in one sentence
- It's a disparaging nickname to his detractors (English coach Bobby Robson called it "the Hand of a Rascal"), but his fans and worshippers use it in a complimentary and only partially-ironic fashion.
Source: Power of the God Hand
Cite this Source
Disparaging and Complimentary. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 07, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/complimentary/disparaging
Complimentary & Disparaging. N.p., 2016. Web. 07 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/complimentary/disparaging>.
Disparaging or Complimentary. 2016. Accessed August 07, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/complimentary/disparaging.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "complimentary" and "disparaging" have occurred on timeline