backhanded compliments
Praise with barbs
Backhanded compliments are remarks that seem like praise on the surface but contain an insult or criticism underneath.
You're so brave to wear that outfit or You're pretty smart for someone who didn't go to college deliver a sting wrapped in apparent kindness.
The backhanded part suggests striking from an unexpected angle, like a backhand in tennis.
People often use them passive-aggressively, allowing them to wound while maintaining plausible deniability.
- insincereFeigning belief or feeling
- equivocalUncertain in meaning
- artificeClever deceptive strategy
- bless your heartDisguised Southern put-down
- affectationArtificial behavior for effect
resentfulness · microaggressions · causticity · passive-aggressiveness · humble brag · snide · subtext · flattery · sarcasm · guilt-tripping · negging · underhanded · spite · condescension · insinuation · veiled insult · subterfuge · vindictiveness
- passive aggressionsilent treatment, cold shoulder, eye rolling, eye roll, eye-rolling
- manipulation tacticsgaslighting, guilt trip, guilt-tripping, guilt tripping, emotional blackmail
- clever humordry wit, wordplay, clever wordplay, clever banter, puns
- provocationbaiting, goading, taunting, incitement, instigation
- witticismsquips, witticisms, witticism, bon mots, bon mot
- biasprejudice, racism, bigotry, sexism, ageism
backed, backing, backward, backwards, handed, handing, handily, handedness, compliment