“That Outfit Is Really Brave”—39 Insults That Sound Like Compliments

One beautiful thing about language is how certain words and phrases could have more than one meaning. Like how saying “Bless your heart” on the surface sounds like it is wishing someone well, but how in reality, as anyone from the South will tell you, it means “you are a huge idiot.” Now that’s an insult that sounds like a compliment if ever one existed.

People on both Reddit and Twitter were recently asked to share their favorite insults that sound like compliments, and there were a ton of good ones. In fact, many of these insults that sound like compliments are actually more savage and cutting than insults that sound like insults.

1.

You’re much smarter than you look—u/wildbob77

2.

That outfit is really brave.—u/Emnkay666

3.

My grandma used to tell us that if you ever met an ugly baby you should said “wow that is SOME BABY”—u/Scodanibbio

4.

“You look…. healthy” where I’m from, the nice way of saying someone has gotten fat.—u/Dyingforsomelove

5.

“See you later!”

“Not if I see you first!”

I always thought it was just a cheesy response, but no – the implication is that if you see the other person, you bail before they see you.—u/hearditb0thways

6.

You’re at the top of the bell curve.—u/Cleverusername531

7.

You are impossible to underestimate.—u/Saints_Slav

8.

I love what you’re trying to do with your hair…—u/Steveg27

9.

My grandma always says people are “good and kind” when they get on her nerves. They think shes a sweet old lady, when shes really saying they’re “good for nothing and kinda stupid”. I got it engraved on a mug for her—u/ThatVapeB*tch

10.

I don’t care what everybody else says, I think you’re pretty cool.—u/storiesaremagic