Thread: Commonly Misused Words

Compliment and Complement

Compliment-Merriam-Webster defines a compliment as “an expression of esteem, respect, affection, or admiration; especially : an admiring remark”.

-I was trying to pay that girl a compliment, but she ignored me.
-Sometimes he blushes when you offer him a compliment.

Complement- Merriam-Webster’s first definition is “something that fills up, completes, or makes perfect”, and it can also be used to mean “the quantity, number, or assortment required to make a thing complete”.

-We had the full complement of pots and pans.
-Our store does not have enough employees to work the required complement of hours.

Past and Passed

The word past locates something in time, and sometimes in space. It can be used as an adjective, noun, or adverb.

-All past presidents of the United States were male.
-The ball sped past the goalkeeper.

Passed is the past participle of the verb “to pass”. It can be an intransitive verb (one which doesn’t require an object) or a transitive verb (one which requires both a subject and one or more objects).

-The weeks passed quickly.
-I passed all my exams!

Irregardless - This is wrong. "Regardless" is the correct form.