We often think kind things about the people around us, but how often do we share them? Giving a compliment not only gives the recipient a huge boost but it also releases feel-good endorphins in the brain of the giver. 

However, the thought of giving compliments can feel daunting. What if it sounds cheesy, awkward or insincere? What if it’s not received in the way it was intended? While these worries are all understandable, with a few simple considerations, giving a genuine compliment can be easier than you think. 

Read on to learn more about how to compliment someone effectively, with expert insight from relationship coach and author Rachel Rose. 

How to compliment someone

Read more: How to tell if someone likes you

The psychological benefits of giving and receiving compliments

We all know how warm we feel inside when someone gives us a really thoughtful compliment. But what actually happens in our brains during this type of interaction? “Giving and receiving compliments activates reward pathways in the brain and gives you a hit of dopamine,” explains relationship coach Rachel Rose. 

“The more you do this, the more your brain starts to associate compliments (both giving and receiving) with a feel-good emotional state.” She adds that this is why, for people who feel comfortable with giving compliments, it can become something they naturally want to do more often. “Over time, it builds positive reinforcement and can even shift your baseline mood in a more optimistic direction.”

Step 2: Preparing to give a compliment

Once you know what you’d like to compliment someone on, the next step is preparing yourself to give it. Delivering it in the right circumstances can make all the difference in how it’s received. Here are a few pointers to consider:

Recognise appropriate situations for compliments

First of all, think about an appropriate situation when you could give a compliment such as on a walk, at an intimate dinner, or having a coffee. It should flow naturally with the conversation. A compliment delivered out of context could surprise the recipient and make them feel embarrassed. 

Understanding your intent: genuine vs superficial compliments

Compliments are generally well received when the recipient understands that your intent is real. Superficial compliments that you don’t really mean will land badly and come across as insincere. For example, there’s no point telling someone they look amazing when they are unwell and tired and not looking their best.

Tailoring your compliment to the person

Dishing out generalised and impersonal compliments can come across as transactional. Instead, think about the things you like about the recipient and the positive moments or exchanges that have affected how you feel about them.

Step 3: The art of giving compliments

Delivering an authentic compliment is easy when you know how. Here’s what to bear in mind:

How to be sincere 

The most convincing compliments are offered when the moment’s right or it flows within a conversation. For instance, you may be having a conversation about how you first met and your first impressions – prime time for a compliment. Or, if you’ve noticed something you really love about them, such as how funny they are, you could say this after they’ve made you laugh. If the person makes you feel uplifted, tell them so after spending the day with them. “You’re so naturally funny – I haven’t stopped laughing all day!” for instance, or “you always put me in such a good mood”. 

Use compliments to acknowledge shared interests

Acknowledging your shared interests is also a natural way of delivering a compliment. For instance, if you both love film and you admire how much they know about the subject, tell them. 

Or, if you both enjoy running or playing tennis, saying something like, “Just when I thought I couldn’t be more obsessed with tennis, you came along and made me love it even more”. Likewise, if food is your thing, share a compliment such as, “I really love how much thought you put into organising our dates. You’re so good at finding the best restaurants’. Compliments like this aren’t overdone or grand, but they reinforce a positive relationship built on trust and honesty. 

Focus on effort and achievements rather than just physical traits

While it’s always nice to tell someone they look good, if the only thing you ever compliment someone on is their physical traits, it may make the recipient feel like that’s all you value about them. Instead, compliment them on their effort and achievements, such as how good a parent or friend they are, how dedicated they are to charity and community work, or how you admire their talent for hosting. 

Pay attention to your recipient’s body language 

Taking notice of a person’s body language is a great way of knowing when to give a compliment. If they’re sitting in a relaxed position, giving you plenty of eye contact and mirroring your body language, you’ll find it easier to deliver a compliment in a confident way. If a person’s body language feels more closed and dismissive, you may be more likely to receive a negative reaction. In cases like this, wait for a better time when the mood feels lighter. 

Types of compliment to give

Building a habit of complimenting others

Once you feel comfortable enough around someone to give them a compliment, you may see that it strengthens and deepens your relationship. This is because a compliment that shows you really understand a person improves trust and connection. When you make others feel good, they will feel more positive. These feelings will form the basis of your entire relationship.

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The crash involved a motorbike and a car

Two people are being treated at hospital with serious injuries following a crash involving a motorbike and a car on Wednesday, May 27. Cambridgeshire Police were called at 10.35am with reports of a serious crash between a motorbike and a car in King Hedges Road, Cambridge.

The rider and the passenger of the motorbike both sustained serious injuries and are being treated at Addenbrookes Hospital, in Cambridge. Police attended the scene and motorists were advised to avoid the area. The road has since been reopened.

A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire Police said: “We were called at 10.35am yesterday (27 May), with reports of a serious collision between a motorbike and a car in King Hedges Road, Cambridge.

“The rider and the passenger of the motorbike sustained serious injuries and are both currently being treated at Addenbrookes Hospital, in Cambridge.”

Last September, Luton Council began trialling a new approach to tackling fly-tipping: treating dump sites as conventional crime scenes and employing enforcement officers to search through waste for evidence – a torn delivery label, a prescription slip, an address hidden inside a cardboard box – that could identify who is responsible.

Officers were alerted to an incident on a path at Dunlin Brae towards Mallard Brae in Livingston at around 10.45pm.

West Lothian police have issued an urgent appeal for information after a man was seriously assaulted while out walking in Livingston on Sunday, May 24.

Officers were alerted to an incident on a path at Dunlin Brae towards Mallard Brae at around 10.45pm.

A 58-year-old man was walking when two young men approached him and assaulted him.

The man was taken to hospital for treatment and enquiries are ongoing to trace the two young men responsible.

The two suspects are described as around 5ft 7ins and of slim build. They were wearing black clothing.

Detective Constable Matt Morran said: “Enquiries are ongoing to trace the two men responsible for this attack.

“If anyone was in the area on Sunday evening and witnessed anything suspicious or has any information that may assist police enquiries, please contact Police Scotland through 101 quoting incident number 3675 of 24 May.

“Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted on 0800 555 111, where anonymity can be maintained.”

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As BBC Sport revealed earlier this month, Iraola is the man Palace want to replace the outgoing Oliver Glasner, who insisted after the triumph in Germany that he has no plans to reverse his decision.

They have made the Spaniard a proposal and are awaiting his answer, within that are assurances that he will be permitted significant influence over the recruitment operation.

It is understood Palace want an answer by the end of the weekend.

The move is ambitious. Iraola has emerged as one of the brightest managers in European football; Bournemouth‘s qualification for next season’s Europa League illustrative of his impressive body of work.

“We have got a taste for it now, we want to keep it going,” said owner Steve Parish following the win over Rayo Vallecano.

“We have gone up a level and we have got to try and stay there. We will have a week to celebrate and then work hard in the summer.”

Palace believe they have done all they can to convince Iraola that they can provide the platform for him to continue building his reputation.

All that is left is Iraola’s approval.

If the 43-year-old declines then Palace will move on to plan B.

Among the alternatives is understood to be Frank Lampard, who has key admirers in the Palace boardroom.

Releasing Lampard from his contract with Coventry provides an obvious stumbling block should Palace pivot to the former Chelsea midfielder.

But there is some optimism at Palace that Lampard, who is aware of the Premier League club’s interest in him, would be open to joining ahead of next season.

Kieran McKenna, Pierre Sage, Sean Dyche and Thomas Frank have also been discussed as options.

Luring Iraola to Selhurst Park would be represent a coup for Palace, but the fact he’s taken so long to decide has led to a degree of scepticism inside Selhurst Park over whether the now-departed Bournemouth head coach is prepared to accept.

Much will become clearer in the coming days.

Under plans announced by HMRC, interest earned on cash held within Stocks & Shares ISAs could face a 22% tax from April 2027, aligning it with standard savings interest rates.

But reports suggest investors may be able to bypass the proposed tax by investing a token amount into qualifying shares while keeping the rest of their portfolio in money market funds or overnight-rate ETFs – investments that can behave similarly to cash.

Investment platforms and savings experts say the development highlights how difficult the reforms could be to implement in practice.

Andrew Prosser, Head of Investments at InvestEngine, said the reported workaround raises “important questions” about whether the policy would achieve its intended goal of encouraging long-term investing.

“Reports that investors may be able to sidestep the proposed reforms with a token stock holding highlight just how difficult these rules could be to design and implement cleanly in practice,” he said.

“The Government’s aim of encouraging long-term investing is understandable, but the risk is that increasingly complex rules create confusion rather than changing behaviour.”

Prosser added that cash holdings within investment accounts are often used for practical portfolio management purposes, such as rebalancing investments, managing regular contributions or covering trades — rather than avoiding tax.

He also noted that money market funds and overnight ETFs are commonly used by mainstream investors to manage liquidity or reduce volatility while deciding on longer-term investment strategies.

According to InvestEngine, around 17% of its clients currently hold an overnight-rate ETF.

Savings platform Flagstone also warned that further ISA changes could damage confidence in the system and discourage saving.

Katie Horne, savings expert at Flagstone, said: “The possibility of the Chancellor adding a 22% levy to any ‘cash-like’ investments in a saver’s Stocks & Shares ISA would be a further blow.”

“Not only will the tax curtail the freedom savers have to make savings and investments that suit their personal needs, but it also risks confusing and complicating a system that was created to simplify personal finance.”

Recommended reading

Recent research conducted by Flagstone and Opinium in earlier this year found that Cash ISAs remain highly popular with savers:

• 67% of Cash ISA holders prefer them over all other savings options
• 66% choose Cash ISAs instead of Stocks & Shares ISAs because they want to avoid investment risk
• 77% say Cash ISAs help encourage good saving habits

The Treasury has not yet confirmed how the rules around “cash-like” investments inside Stocks & Shares ISAs would be defined, leaving uncertainty over how the reforms may ultimately work in practice.

The second-round match at Roland Garros took place amid searing heat

Paramedics were called to a second-round match at the French Open on Wednesday after a player collapsed amid “insane” temperatures.

Czech star Jakub Mensik went down after winning an epic five-set encounter against Mariano Navone under the Roland Garros sun, and required a wheelchair when leaving the court.

Mensik had been playing for four hours and 41 minutes, and dropped to the clay with severe cramp immediately after hitting the deciding point in a mammoth fifth-set tie-break that would ultimately hand him a 6-3 2-6 6-4 1-6 7-6 victory.

He could actually be seen clutching his thigh while serving for the winning point, but managed to get a decisive forehand away before going down.

Paramedics could be seen rushing to his aid to bring ice packs, which Mensik used as a pillow as he lay on the dirt.

Navone, clearly concerned, went over to check his opponent was okay before shaking hands, with Mensik up on his feet again five minutes later.

John McEnroe, on commentary duties could be heard saying: “Help him out. That is… Boy, oh boy.

“Somebody’s got to help him out,” he added.

“The match is over. Come on! Help this guy!”

Mensik, clearly still struggling, was then helped into a wheelchair, with an ice pack placed on his head as he eventually left the court.

“It’s insane to play in this weather and especially in front of the sun,” Mensik said afterwards.

“To be there for more than four-and-a-half hours, that’s just insane. Even with the breaks, you don’t have that much time.

“When I hit the last point, the last winner, the emotions went out and my body just turned off. I was not able to do anything.

“The ending says it all, but I’m just happy that I kept fighting.”

Players and spectators have had to contend with stifling conditions all week in Paris.

Temperatures have consistently hit the mid-30s, and some players have called on authorities to take action.

Novak Djokovic believes the French Open and other Grand Slams need to implement rules similar to those used at the Australian Open, where play is suspended on outside courts when temperatures reach a certain level.

Playing late at night, he says, could be a potential solution.

“Honestly, with Grand Slams it shouldn’t be an issue because we have so many courts,” he said. “We have lights. You have big courts. You can play the matches. You can reschedule them some to other courts and still have the crowd in the stadium and everything.

“Is it ideal to go over midnight? It’s not. But if you have certain days that you have extreme heat and conditions, then maybe that’s something to consider.”

After well-wishers pledged almost £200,000, Phoebe Clarke and her family were able to travel to Saudia Arabia for the life-saving operation after the NHS refused due to the chance of her condition returning

A loving aunt travelled more than 4,000 miles to save life of her cancer-hit niece after the NHS delivered a liver transplant knockback.

The parents of Phoebe Clarke, from Altrincham, Greater Manchester, were hit with the news that their daughter had rare hepatic angiosarcoma as she was diagnosed in February last year. Experts told them that the nine-year-old’s only chance of long term survival was a full liver replacement – but worse news was to come.

The NHS refused to perform the operation because the chances of her condition returning were considered too high. But an astounding crowdfunding campaign brought in almost £200,000 – and with her aunt Sarah Billington agreeing to be a donor, the family set off for Saudia Arabia.

Her parents Matt Clarke and Lindsey Billington insisted their child “she deserves a chance however slim that might be”. Hepatic angiosarcoma is an aggressive cancer that originates in the endothelial cells lining the blood vessels of the liver. It is described as highly invasive, and carries a poor prognosis.

Lindsey told the ManchesterEveningNews: “It was a success. Phoebe’s in a bit of pain but both the liver team and the Peadiatric Intensive Care Unit doctors are happy with her. She is off ventilation and has been asking for water and getting feisty because she is not allowed it.

“They advised us that she’d be ventilated and sedated for at least a day, maybe two, so she’s doing amazingly well. She punched us both in frustration”. She added: “Sarah as the donor has gone all Donald Trump on me and said the doctor’s said it’s the best liver they’d ever seen.”

Phoebe, who has a twin brother, Eric, has been treated at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Riyadh. The transplant saw a portion of Sarah’s healthy liver removed and transplanted into Phoebe – because the liver regenerates the donor’s liver will grow back to normal size in a few months.

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In a video message, Erling Haaland, who is Manchester City fan Phoebe’s favourite player, said: “Hi Phoebe, Erling Haaland here. Stay strong, keep going, all the best.” The family has also received a message of support from former boxing champion, Frank Bruno.

Oncologists advocated a liver transplant. But none of the three NHS centres which could potentially do a live donor operation in Leeds, Kings London, and Birmingham, thought it would be appropriate.

In a message posted on social media Lindsey said: “Thank you to everyone who’s donated so far it means the world. Because of your generosity we’ve just arrived in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The world leading experts in live liver transplants are based here. Because of all you amazing people we’ve been given this opportunity, we couldn’t have done it without every single one of you.”

Dr Magnus Harrison, Chief Medical Officer at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said: “I am deeply sorry for the distress that this decision has caused to Phoebe’s family. It is a truly awful situation for any family to be in, and my thoughts are with Phoebe and her family at this difficult time.

“The decision not to offer Phoebe a liver transplant was incredibly difficult and was made following an extensive clinical review in consultation with the other specialist centres in Birmingham and London. Unfortunately, all organisations agreed that a liver transplant would not be an appropriate treatment for Phoebe. A decision supported by NHS Blood and Transplant.”

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The Senate race for Texas could decide which party controls Congress in November’s midterm elections, and some Democrats think the state could be theirs for the first time since 1988.

It follows Tuesday’s Republican primary in Texas that ousted the state’s long-serving senator, John Cornyn, in favour of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a controversial figure who was backed by Donald Trump after the president accused Cornyn of disloyalty.

In today’s episode, Sarah and Anthony assess whether Trump’s backing for Ken Paxton reflects a growing disconnect between the president and his base, and why some Republicans are worried about his chances when facing up against the Democrat’s James Talarico in November.

HOSTS:
• Sarah Smith, North America Editor
• Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent

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This episode was made by Tom Gillett with Grace Reeve and Oscar Pearson. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is George Dabby. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

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Passengers using the West Coast Main Line are being warned of disruption after signalling systems stopped working during thunderstorms overnight.

Network Rail said its teams urgently fixing blown fuses in the equipment at Weaver Junction near Runcorn which went offline early this morning. It’s where the West Coast Main Line connects to Liverpool and the North Wales coast. While the exact cause is being investigated, the damage is in line with a suspected lightning strike.

During the repairs, some services are being reduced, delayed or cancelled, with only one train an hour running between Crewe and Liverpool, calling at Runcorn and Liverpool South Parkway. For that reason, anyone travelling today (Thursday, May 28) is urged to check National Rail Enquiries (www.nationalrail.co.uk).

Ticket acceptance is in place with Northern and Transpennine Express between South Parkway and Lime Street, Avanti West Coast between Crewe and Liverpool and Merseyrail between Liverpool South Parkway and Liverpool Central

Chris Wright, Network Rail North West route director, said: “We’re sorry to passengers affected by this disruption caused by the stormy conditions overnight. Our specialist signalling and telecoms teams are working as fast as possible to fix the faults and get the railway fully back up and running. “I’d advise anyone travelling today to please check National Rail Enquiries or with their train operator for the latest travel information before they set off on their journey.”