Damning with faint praise

Damning with faint praise is an English idiom, expressing oxymoronically that half-hearted or insincere praise may act as oblique criticism or condemnation.[1][2] In simpler terms, praise is given, but only given as high as mediocrity, which may be interpreted as passive-aggressive.

  1. ^ Ichikawa, Sanki. (1964). The Kenkyusha Dictionary of Current English Idioms, pp. 153–154.
  2. ^ Ammer, Christine. (2001). The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms, p. 153.