How To Compliment a Woman

Laud something less obvious than her looks, like her strength, her outspokenness, or her accomplishments. You’ll get points for originality.

Extol a quality she rarely receives compliments for. If she’s used to being told she’s beautiful, but wants to be thought of as intelligent, praise her smarts. If she’s an egghead who rarely gets kudos for her looks, find something about her appearance to extol. Just remember to keep it truthful.

If she has nice skin, tell her so. Women put a lot of stock – not to mention time and effort – in a flawless complexion, so you’ll win points for noticing she has one.

Tread carefully around the weight issue. “You look like you’ve lost weight” can be misconstrued as, “you were fat before.” Play it safe with a general comment about her great figure or a specific remark about how terrific her body looks in that outfit.

Remember that screaming at a total stranger is not a compliment.