damn with faint praise

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.65 in modern English

Syllables: damn with- -faint praise
IPA

Scrabble Score

Letters

Syllables

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To provide praise that is minimal or inconsequential, implying that such praise is the best that could be said.

Example Sentences

"Damn with faint praise, assent with civil leer, And without sneering teach the rest to sneer."
"The patronizing manner in which the hero of Nashville is damned with faint praise would amuse were it not so exasperating."
"Four of them returned it with a cold, printed note of rejection; one of them “damned with faint praise.” They wrote that “Our readers report that they find some merit in your story, but not enough to warrant its acceptance.”"
"And then, finally, when W. could avoid it no longer, he mentioned Vice, damning with faint praise: “Dick Cheney’s advice was consistent and strong.”"

Etymology

From a poem by Alexander Pope.

Inflected Forms

damns with faint praise (present, singular) damning with faint praise (participle, present) damned with faint praise (participle, past) damned with faint praise (past)

Phrases

backhanded compliment cherry-pick left-handed compliment praise with faint damns

Frequently Paired Words