pay a compliment

Idioms  

1. 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]

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Example Sentences

“We have traveled so much and had to adapt so much, the bio-rhythms and everything else. It was really difficult and I have to pay a compliment to my team for how they have reacted. No one has been moaning.”

From Seattle Times

I considered interrupting her routine to pay a compliment.

From Slate

Echoed again and again is the advice to "pay a compliment."

From Washington Post

A: “Mom, I want to ask you a favor. It would mean a lot to me if you would not make comments or ask questions about my body, especially when it comes to weight. I’ve been trying to develop a healthier relationship with my body and I’d love it if you could help me by not bringing up my appearance, even to pay a compliment. It may seem a little unusual to you, but it would mean so much to me. Can you help?”

From Slate

Nick Faldo -- in trying to pay a compliment to Jon Rahm on Twitter last week -- mistakenly added an "h" to the Spaniard's first name.

From Golf Digest