Compliments for Men

Like everyone, men also want to be acknowledged, praised, and adored now and then. It doesn’t have to be always about their looks and appearance. Your man may not be vocal about it, but receiving compliments actually makes him feel valued and as a result, gradually improve his self-esteem.

✍️ June 3, 2022

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😎 5 Ways to Compliment a Man
😂 Funny Compliments for Men
🤪 Weird Compliments for Men
😏 Sexy Compliments for Men
🤯 Bad Compliments for Men

The problem is that most men aren’t wired to fish for compliments. And once their confidence takes a hit, this affects their self-esteem and overall happiness. To avoid this from happening, read this comprehensive guide on how to keep a man’s soul healthy through compliments.

Would you like to know more about compliments in general? Then take a look at this article: Compliments!

5 Ways to Compliment a Man

There are probably more ways you can compliment a man, but these 5 methods are the most common and effective.

1. Notice Something about their Appearance

There is a popular belief that men do not want to be complimented for their looks as women do, but this is totally false. If you worked your butt off doing high-intensity training with a restrictive low-carb diet, trying to lose weight for an entire month, and successfully doing so, wouldn’t you want someone to notice?

Be specific when complimenting a guy based on his looks.

If the guy dressed up for a special event, specify that the suit fits his body well, or that his shirt brings out the color of his eyes.
You can notice that his tummy is getting flatter,
Or that his new beard looks badass.

As long as you’re genuine with the compliment, and you stay away from generalizations like “You look good,” then I guarantee this will work.

2. Focus on the Man’s Intelligence

Even if society has stereotypes about men and their inability to talk about serious things, this is far from the truth. Just like women who can balance chit-chatting about makeup and dresses, then jump into discussions on parenting and spirituality, men can be into such conversations as well.

Some ways you can compliment a man’s intelligence is by:

Zooming in a specific skill: I hate doing my taxes. Good thing you’ve got pro-level Excel skills to help me automate the solutions.
Commenting on his wisdom: I love that you didn’t join your siblings’ fight. That shows how mature you are now.
Remarking on his decision-making: I know it wasn’t easy to fire your old-time employee, but it was the right call.

3. Remark on a man’s Positive Attitude, Character, and Personality

All these make up any human’s soul - how a person acts positively towards another should be celebrated.

For example, the following statements are compliments for attitude, character, and personality:

Your ability to forgive people is inspiring.
You’re a good friend to (insert name here).
It’s amusing how passionate you are with your toy figures.
You have a special gift of calming people down.
The way you respect older people is commendable.

4. Acknowledge His Efforts

If you got a good man, he would most likely do stuff for your day in, day out without asking for anything in return. From taking out the garbage to running to the supermarket for toilet paper, you can count on your man with chores, errands, fixer-uppers at home, and so on.

“Man” here isn’t even exclusive to a significant other; You can have a guy friend who puts in a lot of effort into your friendship. And it’s only right to acknowledge and appreciate what they do for you.

Use compliments like:

Thanks for finding where that squeaky sound on the floor comes from. It has been driving me crazy.
We’re perfect together. I love making a mess, and you love cleaning up.
The breakfast in bed you prepared was delicious. Thank you.
I heard you tell the kids not to wake up me. I needed that, thanks.

5. Give Emotion-based compliments

Men do not easily talk about their feelings upfront, but it doesn’t mean they have a heart of stone. What they lack in words, they usually make up in actions. So if this means something to you, emotion-based compliments could melt the hearts of the men in your life.

For example:

You always know when I need a hug.
I believe you can do it. You’ve always been a hard worker.
You’re the only one who can make my knees weak like this.
I’m proud of what you’ve done so far.
I will follow you anywhere.
You’re the funniest man I know.

List of Compliments for Men

If you’re trying to build better friendships and relationships with the men in your life, get comfortable with using compliments every now and then.

For some people who aren’t used to giving out compliments, they can start with funny and weird compliments, then gradually try out heartfelt ones whenever the occasion calls for it.

Just make sure to read up on Bad Examples of Compliments for Men, so you know what to avoid…

Funny Compliments for Men

You may be trying to make a man smile with a funny compliment, but don’t mistake this for a joke since the thought should still be there.

1. You used to be such a dude/nerd/know-it-all/teacher’s pet/etc… but not anymore.

Teasing your guy about how he used to be and acknowledging that he has changed in such a huge compliment. Of course, the intro is funny as hell, since you’re picking on his past. But how you end the compliment will make him gush.

2. You sound like a broken record of my favorite song.

Sometimes, the funniest compliments make the receiver double-take what you just said. Is this a compliment or an insult? Pair it with a smile or a wink, and the delivery is gold.

3. You dance like crazy.

Wait, is it crazy good? Or crazy bad? Either way, his dance moves got acknowledged and I’m sure this will get you pretty psyched.

4. You smell like ice cream and cookies.

If the person who told this to you loves cookies and ice cream, then this definitely is a compliment worth embracing. Even if you just finished working out and smell a bit funky.

5. You have the same sense of humor as my grandpa.

Comparing a person’s personality with someone so unexpected is definitely gonna give out some laughs. Just don’t compare him to someone he doesn’t know, so the compliment will not get lost.

Weird Compliments for Men

Ideal for people who are still getting used to giving compliments, don’t beat yourself up if you craft some weird-sounding compliments at first. Don’t be discouraged. Your choice of compliments for men would improve with time and practice.

1. For someone who just had surgery, you look pretty good.

Yeah, it will always sound weird complimenting a person’s look after experiencing something physically taxing like surgery, or week-long flu.

2. You look like a Ken doll, if only you dress better.

The male Barbie looks perfect, so comparing your guy’s appearance to this decades-old doll can be quite a confusing compliment. But it is still a compliment nonetheless.

3. Your pretty handwriting reminds me of my sister’s penmanship.

Thanks? Depending on how confident he is with his masculinity, this compliment may just solicit a laugh. But for those battling with low self-esteem, this probably won’t help at all.

4. You look like someone who knows what he’s doing.

Whenever I hear this compliment, I always look up to see how that person looks. Does his face scream “plumber” while fixing the pipes? Or “IT guy” when he’s troubleshooting your laptop?

Sexy Compliments for Men

Sexy compliments are ideal for opening up your heart, appreciation posts, special occasions, and any other moments that call for something more heartfelt.

1. How sweet it is to be loved by you.

If you can’t find the words to compliment your man, how about borrowing from love songs? This method has won the hearts of women for decades, so I guarantee it would work on men as well, especially if you know his taste in music and choose the perfect song and lyric.

2. You always know what to say, and do.

Acknowledging a man’s part in your happiness is always a winning compliment.

3. Why are you so good at shopping for vintage furniture?

Giving credit for a person’s skill, in this case, his talent in finding vintage stuff is always a good call. It shows that you had been observing this for a while now, and a recent furniture purchase had confirmed your opinion.

4. Your voice is so perfect for country-rock songs.

Being very specific with your compliment is key to making it sound sincere and fitting just for the guy you’re saying it to. Generalized compliments that you can find in a booklet will never be as effective as compliments you crafted on your own.

5. This family will not function properly without your organizational skills.

Every member of the family has an important contribution, but sometimes, it is just accepted as is and never acknowledged. Actually saying what everyone knows to be true can be a heart-warming validation.

6. You cook the fluffiest pancakes in the world.

Maybe this is an exaggeration, but if you mean the compliment with all your heart, then it’s a good enough compliment.

Bad Compliments for Men

Awkward, funny, and weird compliments are forgivable. Some men may even find them cute. But there are just some compliments that you should never, ever say to a man. For example:

1. Your baked macaroni is almost as good as the one (insert name of your ex here) used to make for me.

Who likes getting compared to an ex, right? It’s like there is suddenly a competition going on. It will never be okay, no matter how secure your guy is with your relationship standing.

👉 Suggested read: 20 Funny Compliments to Brighten Someone's Day

2. YES! That’s how you make up for last night’s bad performance.

No matter how good you say your compliment about a man’s performance in bed, he will always focus on the negative part of your remark. This can be a pretty sensitive subject for men, so avoid it if possible.

3. You’re just too nice!

Being too nice isn’t sexy at all. And I bet your man likes to feel sexy!

4. OMG! You’re as cute as a puppy!

Yes, puppies are cute. And babies are cute. But no adult should ever be described as cute!

Balance is Key in Complimenting Men

Overdoing the compliments can seem condescending, or insincere. You don’t have to do it every hour, every day, but regular meaningful compliments said as the occasion fits are definitely the right way to go. This is most especially true for serious compliments, which can be used, abused, and lose their meaning.

What’s cool about giving compliments is that you can blurt it out anytime you want. Do you want to know more about compliments? Check out our Compliments article!

Compliments are great as conversation starters. They’re effective in signaling defeat during an argument. And they are just the easiest and most natural way to show you care about the men in your life.

Ready to brush up on your flirting skills even more? These books can help you learn how to send the right signals, make a great first impression, and keep the spark alive in your relationships: