What does comped mean?
'Comped' is the past tense and past participle of the informal verb 'comp', meaning to give someone something free of charge, typically as a courtesy, perk, or promotional gesture. It thrives in the worlds of casinos, hotels, restaurants, concerts, and airlines: a high roller may have his suite comped, a journalist her festival pass, a disgruntled guest his dessert. The word is an abbreviation of 'complimentary', which itself traces back through Latin 'complere', 'to fill up or complete'. Though casual in register, 'comped' is standard vocabulary in service industries on both sides of the Atlantic, where the practice it describes is a core business strategy — giving away goods to build loyalty or encourage further spending. Its connotations are almost always positive: to be comped is to be treated as valued. Less commonly, in American English, it can mean reimbursed by an employer. For anyone navigating hospitality or customer service language, it's an essential term.
verb (past tense and past participle of 'comp')Given or provided free of charge, especially a ticket, meal, room, or other service offered as a courtesy or promotional gesture.
- Provided free of charge as a courtesy or promotion, especially in hospitality, entertainment, and gambling contexts.
- (Informal, chiefly US) Covered or reimbursed by an employer or insurer, as in expenses 'comped' by the company.
"The hotel comped our room after the mix-up with the booking."
"As a press attendee, she was comped a pass to the entire festival."
"The casino comped his dinner after he'd been playing for six hours straight."
Las Vegas casinos comp high rollers millions of dollars' worth of suites, steaks, and show tickets — because the free stuff keeps them at the tables longer.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of comped
'Comped' derives from 'comp', a mid-20th-century American clipping of 'complimentary', meaning given free as a courtesy. 'Complimentary' comes via French from Latin 'complimentum' and ultimately 'complere' ('to fill up'), the same root that gives us 'complete', 'complement', and 'comply'. The verb took hold first in Las Vegas casino culture before spreading into general hospitality and events usage across the English-speaking world.
Related word forms
How comped is actually used
'Comped' is informal and strongly associated with the hospitality, casino, events, and travel industries; it can feel jarring in formal writing, where 'provided complimentary' is preferred. In American workplace speech it also appears when expenses are reimbursed ('the company comped my flight'). The passive sense ('we were comped') is very common, reflecting that the giver, not the receiver, does the action.
Easily confused with comped
'Copped' means obtained or seized (or admitted to a crime), while 'comped' means given free of charge as a courtesy.