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Compliment, Complement

These two common words cause all kinds of confusion, but here is a simple way to differentiate between the two.

A Compliment - a gentleman pays a compliment to a lady.

Noun :
1. an expression of respect, affection, or admiration
2. plural : best wishes : regards, as in
"My compliments to the chef!"

I pay a compliment to someone.

Complement - as in, "The red wine complements the roast dinner!", which means wine goes well with food.

If you said, "The red wine compliments the roast dinner!"", you'd be saying the red wine is charming and telling the other food stuffs about the roast!

Noun : 1 : something that fills up, completes, or makes perfect
2 : full quantity, number, or amount (e.g. a ship's complement of officers and crew)

Verb : 1 : to form or serve as a complement to
"Your new shoes complement your outfit." which means the shoes go well with the clothes.