What does complementing mean?
To be complementing something is to pair with it in a way that brings out its best qualities, completing rather than copying it. The word describes harmonious enhancement: a sauce complementing a dish, colours complementing each other in a painting, or a colleague's skills complementing your own on a team. A second, related sense involves completing a whole — supplying whatever is missing to round out a set or total. Complementing derives from Latin complēre, 'to fill up or complete', and arrived in English in the seventeenth century alongside its noun counterpart. It should not be confused with complimenting, which means offering praise; the two spellings differ only in a single vowel but carry entirely different meanings. Because it signals cooperation and balance rather than competition, the word carries warm, constructive connotations, which explains its popularity in design, cuisine, music, and workplace writing alike.
verbPresent participle of "complement": to combine with something else in a way that enhances or completes it, or to complete a set or quantity by adding what is missing.
- To combine harmoniously with something else, enhancing its qualities without duplicating them.
- To complete a whole by supplying what is missing; to make up a required amount or set.
"The crisp acidity of the wine was perfectly complementing the richness of the cheese."
"Her minimalist furniture was beautifully complementing the building's original architecture."
"Two new hires joined the team, complementing the existing skill set rather than duplicating it."
"Complement" and "compliment" were once the same word — both came into English from Latin via the same root meaning 'to fill up' — so every time you praise someone's outfit for matching their shoes, you're technically doing both at once.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of complementing
Complementing comes from the verb complement, which entered English in the early seventeenth century from French complément, itself derived from Latin complementum, meaning 'that which fills up or completes'. The ultimate root is the Latin verb complēre, 'to fill up', formed from com- ('together') and plēre ('to fill'). This makes it a cousin of words like complete, accomplishment, and plenty, all of which trace back to the same Indo-European root *pel-, meaning 'to fill'. Notably, compliment shares this same origin — the two words diverged in English after being borrowed separately through different routes.
Related word forms
How complementing is actually used
Used almost exclusively as the progressive form of the verb complement; the base verb is far more common than the -ing form outside continuous constructions. In formal writing, note that the spelling with an e (not i) is essential to avoid confusion with compliment.
Easily confused with complementing
"Complimenting" means expressing praise or admiration, while "complementing" means combining well with something to enhance it — the two words are spelled identically except for the i/e in the middle.