How to Respond to a Compliment in English

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When someone compliments you, it’s obvious that you respond positively to that. Therefore, you should acknowledge the compliment and express your feeling as a response rather than being silent or indifferent.

If you are wondering how to respond to a compliment in English, this post is for you. Throughout the post, I’ll give you some essential tips and share some English expressions that you can use to respond to a compliment in English.  

You can respond to a compliment in English with “Thank you,” “I appreciate that,” “So nice of you,” or “Good to hear that from you.” In response to a compliment in English, you must compliment back with the right words and maintain a polite & sincere tone and body language.

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50 Examples of General English Responses to Compliments

To respond to a compliment in English, your right choice of words, tone, and body language are crucial. In addition, you should accept the compliment positively and respond to it accordingly. Remember! Your polite words, positive gestures, and sincere tone are the keys to an excellent response to a compliment.

Now, let’s see some familiar and general expressions to respond to a compliment in English.

  1. I admire the way you complimented my effort.
  2. I admire the way you inspire me all the time.
  3. I am delighted to be noticed by you.
  4. I am glad that you found my work good. Thank you so much.
  5. I am glad that you liked it.
  6. I am happy to hear that from you.
  7. I am very happy that you expressed your mind about me.
  8. I appreciate it.
  9. I appreciate that you expressed your mind about me.
  10. I appreciate that you noticed it.
  11. I appreciate that you think about me in this way.
  12. I appreciate the way you complimented me.
  13. I appreciate what you said about me.
  14. I appreciate you for saying that.
  15. I appreciate you for telling me that.
  16. I appreciate your compliment.
  17. I can’t believe you said this so nicely about me.
  18. I feel privileged to hear that from you.
  19. I never expected that you would compliment me.
  20. I really appreciate you for noticing my effort.
  21. I really value your opinion. I will certainly carry on this way.
  22. I sincerely thank you for acknowledging my efforts.
  23. I think you are better than me, and that’s why you noticed good things in me.
  24. It feels amazing to hear from you such good things about me.
  25. It feels good coming compliments from you.
  26. It means a lot to me.
  27. It truly made my day after some tough days.
  28. It’s great to hear such a compliment from you.
  29. It’s great to hear such words about me from you.
  30. It’s lovely of you to say so.
  31. It’s really inspiring to hear you feel that way about my endeavor.
  32. It’s so nice of you saying this.
  33. It’s so sweet of you.
  34. It’s wonderful to get such a compliment from you.
  35. My joy knows no bounds hearing such things about me from a person like you.
  36. Thank you for noticing.
  37. Thank you for recognizing my efforts.
  38. Thank you so much from the core of my heart for saying this.
  39. Thank you so much.
  40. Thank you so much. It made my day to hear it from you.
  41. Thank you.
  42. Thank you. I always appreciate your kind words and positive thoughts about me.
  43. Thanks a ton.
  44. Thanks for your compliment.
  45. Thanks.
  46. This is so nice to hear.
  47. Your compliments always elevate my spirit.
  48. Your compliments motivate me more than anything.
  49. Your words are nothing but an inspiration for me to go on.
  50. Your words really matter to me, so it’s nice to always hear from you.

How to Respond to Compliments About Your Appearance

Response to Compliments About Your Appearance

In our everyday life, on many occasions, we find people appreciating us and giving compliments. One of the everyday things that people talk about others is their appearance. They can talk about your general appearance and other physical features as well as describe your clothes as a part of compliments. 

In this part of the post, we’ll see some English expressions that you can use to respond to people’s compliments about your appearance.

Compliment: You are very handsome, I must say.

Response: Oh, thanks! You are attractive too.

Compliment: You look more elegant in this outfit.

Response: Thanks a ton. This is one of my favorite attires.

Compliment: You look more confident in your current muscular build.

Response: I appreciate how you always motivated me to stay healthy.      

Compliment: Your smile is authentic and reflects your innocent self.

Response: Thanks! You, too, have a pure mind. So, you find innocence in my smile.

Compliment: You got an excellent height. You should try basketball.

Response: Thanks for your suggestion. I’ll definitely try.

Compliment: You look younger and more energetic with this haircut. 

Response: Oh really! Thanks for your compliment.

Compliment: I really like your eyes—the most curious & intelligent ones I’ve ever seen.

Response: I like yours too. I must say they are the wisest I’ve ever seen.

Compliment: You look more gracious in this red gown.

Response: Thank you so much! You also look sophisticated today.

Compliment: You always know how to look better than yesterday.

Response: It’s great to hear this from you. I must give credit to you for this.

Compliment: You got perfect health now, I must say!

Response: Thank you! It would’ve never been possible without your instruction.

How to Respond to Compliments About Your Personality

While talking about someone, besides appearance, people also tend to talk about their personality. So what do you say in reply if someone compliments your inner qualities—honesty, intelligence, sincerity, kindness, etc.? No, worries. Now, we’ll learn the use of some English responses to compliments about your personality.

Compliment: I like you because you are a very sensible person.

Response: I am glad that you think this way about me.

Compliment: I appreciate your intelligence.

Response: Thank you so much. You are intelligent too.

Compliment: I am proud of the way honest you are.

Response: Thanks. I know that you also believe that honesty is the best policy.

Compliment: You have again shown how helpful you are.

Response: It’s my pleasure to hear this from you. Thank you.

Compliment: You are the bravest girl I’ve ever met.

Response: I am glad you noticed. You are one of my inspirations.

Compliment: I am delighted to see your sincerity.

Response: So nice of you. Your compliments motivate me more than anything.

Compliment: Your creativity is what is your best quality.

Response: I am delighted that you said it. Thanks.

Compliment: Your politeness is praiseworthy.

Response: I appreciate your compliment. You are polite too.

Compliment: Your sense of humor is up to the mark.

Response: So is yours! Thanks for saying this.

Compliment:  I wouldn’t believe how a person can be so patient if I didn’t meet you.

Response: Thanks, but I also feel the same regarding you.

How to Respond to Compliments About Something You Own

Response to Compliments About Something You Own

Complimenting someone’s possession is quite common in our everyday life. For example, suppose you have bought a new car. Your friends may like it and say good things about it. Even if you are a father, people may compliment your child, making you feel good.

So, in response to those compliments, you should say “Thanks” to them. But how do you do it? Just saying a simple “thank you” may not always sound good. So, here we’ll see how we can respond differently to compliments about something that you own.

Compliment: I love your collection of musical instruments.

Response: Thanks. It’s my hobby.

Compliment: Your new car is very posh.

Response: I bought it yesterday. Thanks for suggesting this to me.

Compliment: Your apartment is very well-furnished.

Response: Thank you so much. I’m glad that you liked it.

Compliment: It’s unbelievable that you own a private jet at this young age.

Response: My pleasure. Thanks for being beside me all the way.

Compliment: The villa you have bought recently is big and lavish. I liked it.

Response: Yeah! The designer was too good. It’s great to know that you like it.

Compliment: Your child is very brilliant.

Response: Thanks for expressing your mind. The most credit goes to her mom.

Compliment: your library is rich with various books.

Response: I love to collect books. So do you. Your collection is also unique.

Compliment: I really love your balcony.

Response: Oh yeah! It seems complete now, as we are having tea here together.

Compliment: I appreciate that you have a vegetable garden.

Response: I followed your path. Thanks for making me a lover of nature.

Compliment: Your yacht is amazingly luxurious. We had a fabulous river cruise.

Response: Thank you so much! I had a great time with all of you there.

How to Respond to Compliments on Your Performance/Ability

Response to Compliments on Your Performance

In both your personal and professional life, you do a lot of things. You show your ability to achieve your goal through your performance. Thus people surrounding you tend to compliment your ability, performance, and achievements. What do you say when you listen to compliments on such things?

In this part of the post, we’ll learn some expressions to use while responding to compliments on your skill, performance, and accomplishments.

Compliment: I am proud of your outstanding performance in the show.

Response: Thanks for training me hard for the last couple of days.

Compliment: I knew that you would complete the task on time. Thumbs up!

Response: Thanks for believing in me.

Compliment: The soup you prepared for us yesterday was delicious. 

Response: That was teamwork, I must say. You also helped, right?

Compliment: You nailed it. I was sure that you would win the race.

Response: Oh really! Thank you so much.

Compliment: You are an excellent writer.

Response: I learned the basics of writing from you. Thanks for being there.

Compliment: The way you presented the proposal to the clients was commendable.

Response: I put a lot of effort into preparing this. Thanks for your compliment.

Compliment: Yes! You deserved the promotion. The committee has made the right decision.

Response: Thanks for your support as team leader. Without your help, it wouldn’t have been possible for me to meet the target.   

Compliment: I wish I could paint with such details as you.

Response: So nice of you! I’m a big fan of your painting, do you know that?

Compliment: You are a fantastic actor. I hope to see you at the Oscars someday.

Response: Your words matter a lot to me. So, it feels great hearing this from you.

Compliment: your ability to perform under pressure is appreciable.

Response: Thanks for noticing this. I learned a lot of things from you.

How to Respond to Compliments About You As a Whole

In the above, we talked about how to respond to compliments on someone’s qualities or characteristics. However, on many occasions, we notice people compliment us as a whole. So now, let’s see how we can respond when someone compliments us as a person as a whole.

Compliment: You are an incredible human being.

Response: Thank you so much. You are a good human being too.

Compliment: None can help to like you as a person.

Response: Oh really! That is so sweet of you. 

Compliment: You are the best among my friends.

Response: You are my best buddy. Things become more manageable when you are beside me.

Compliment: You are different from all my cousins. Have a good life.

Response: Thank you, dear. Keep me in your prayer.

Compliment: I love the way you are.

Response: I also love the way you are.

Compliment: I have never met such a good person as you.

Response: Oh! Thanks. I also have the same feeling about you.

Compliment: You are perfect just the way you are.

Response: That’s so sweet of you.

Compliment: the world would be better if people were like you.

Response: You are certainly better than me and notice good things in people.

Compliment: You are an excellent person all the way.

Response: Thank you so much for saying this.

Compliment: You are special to me for so many reasons.

Response: I can’t stop if I start talking about good things in you. You are the true inspiration of my life. Yes, I mean it.

20 Tips to Follow While Responding to Compliments

Responding to Compliments
  1. Be authentic when you respond to someone’s compliment. Don’t just say something for the sake of saying it. Instead, your genuine feeling should be expressed in response to compliments.
  2. Be specific about what you felt while responding to a compliment. Try to apply a direct approach to thank the person who complimented you.
  3. Express yourself by making eye contact, so the other person feels you are giving them the utmost attention and importance. Saying something with proper eye contact demonstrates confidence, ingenuity, and sincerity.
  4. Be very picky about your words while responding to a compliment. You will not want to offend someone by saying too less or too more. So, think before you speak.
  5. Acknowledge that the compliment is genuine and respond to that accordingly. You should not assume that the person who complimented you didn’t mean it.
  6. Be always responsive to any compliment. You shouldn’t ignore anyone’s compliments and stay indifferent regardless of your mood.
  7. Stay humble all the way. You must be polite no matter how big or small the compliments seem. You may expect better compliments, but you should still be satisfied with what you have been complimented with. Remember! You cannot put words in someone else’s mouth.
  8. If you are complimented for any accomplishments that others were also involved in the process, acknowledge their effort and share credit with them.
  9. If someone compliments you, never try to transfer it to someone else. You obviously can share the credit but should not give the entire credit to someone else. The other person may think you didn’t accept the compliment if it happens.
  10. Don’t try to correct them when someone compliments you. It isn’t polite if you correct someone directly while they praise you.
  11. Don’t just limit yourself to “thanks.” If there are scopes of repaying the compliment, you should do it. For example, you may compliment back the other person in the same way.
  12. Don’t overdo it while responding to compliments. It’s not that if someone compliments you, you have to applaud them more and more and win the competition. Instead, be genuine and express what comes naturally.
  13.  Apply KISS theory here too. Keep your response short and simple. It’s not always necessary to make everything long. Sometimes, brief things are considered best too.
  14. Stay optimistic while responding to a compliment. You should not reject a compliment, even if you don’t want or expect to hear it.
  15. If possible, mention the person’s name while responding to their compliments. Thanking someone with a mention of their name gives them a feeling of importance.  
  16. Maintain a polite, gracious, and sincere tone while replying to a compliment. Remember! It may not seem reasonable to people if you say something flatly. However, excitement and happiness should be apparent in your voice.
  17. While thanking someone, show positive gestures such as a handshake or hug, depending on the relationship.
  18. Don’t underestimate no matter who complimented you. For example, suppose you are the CEO of a large corporation. If your company’s most junior employee compliments you at work, accept it with gratitude and happiness.
  19.  Your body language matters while responding to compliments in both formal and informal situations. In addition, any of your non-verbal communication adds beauty to the overall communication.
  20. Be natural while responding to a compliment. No matter what you say, say it positively with a polite smile.

In Conclusion

Receiving a compliment with proper responses appears difficult for many ESL learners. Thus, they often remain silent, which may seem offending to others. So, it’s crucial to learn appropriate English expressions to respond to compliments without feeling awkward.

I have discussed so many English expressions and how they should be processed. Practice using them so that you can master these expressions.

Thanks for reading!

Happy learning!

Niaj A A Khan is an ESL Instructor with over 8 years of experience in teaching & developing resources at different universities and institutes. Mr. Khan is also a passionate writer working on his first book, "Learn English at Ease."

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