Done with the back of the hand; also means indirect, insincere, or containing a hidden insult.
From 'back' + 'handed,' originally referring to a literal tennis or striking motion, then metaphorically extended to mean indirect compliments or criticism.
The term 'backhanded compliment' comes from tennis, where a backhand stroke is weaker and less direct—you're not facing your opponent straight on, so the metaphor perfectly captures insincere praise that contradicts itself.
Backhanded compliments weaponize indirect speech, historically reflecting power dynamics where marginalized groups—especially women—received qualified praise ('You're articulate for a woman'). The term encodes a gendered communication dynamic of conditional acceptance.
Use 'indirect' or 'qualified' when describing the rhetorical move. When critiquing compliments, name the specific bias rather than relying on gendered metaphor.
["indirect","qualified","ambiguous","conditional"]
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