roundabout or ambiguous; "attacks from tht source amounted to a backhanded compliment to his integrity"; "a backhanded and dishonest way of reaching his goal"
disapproval If you say that someone is doing something in a backhanded way, they are doing it indirectly. In a backhanded way, I think a lot of my energy and strength comes from my campaigning
A backhanded compliment is a remark which seems to be an insult but could also be understood as a compliment. A backhanded compliment is also a remark which seems to be a compliment but could also be understood as an insult. Saying she's improved comes over as a backhanded compliment
(of racket strokes) made across the body with back of hand facing direction of stroke