comment

comment — noun

1. a spoken or written remark that tells what you think or feel about someone or so

1.nounB1
Definition

a spoken or written remark that tells what you think or feel about someone or something

Example

The mayor asked the crowd for their comments on the new park design.

countable noun + on [topic]

Ravi posted a comment on the blog about sustainable farming.

leave / post a comment

Common collocations
  • make a comment
  • have a comment
  • add a comment
  • comment on
Synonyms
  • remark

    more casual and often brief; used for something said in passing

  • observation

    suggests careful noticing; slightly more formal than 'comment'

Usage Note

Commonly used with the preposition 'on' or 'about' to introduce the topic. The phrase 'make a comment' is far more natural than 'give a comment'.

Common Mistakes

She gave a comment about the film.
She made a comment about the film.
'make a comment' is the standard collocation.
Do you have any comment for my presentation?
Do you have any comments on my presentation?
use 'on' rather than 'for'.

2. an explanatory or critical note added to the text of a book, document, or piece

2.noun
Definition

an explanatory or critical note added to the text of a book, document, or piece of writing

Example

The scholar's edition of Shakespeare includes detailed comments at the bottom of each page.

annotated edition: comments at bottom of page

Leila wrote a short comment in the margin next to the difficult passage.

comment in the margin

Common collocations
  • add a comment
  • written comment
  • detailed comments
  • comment in the margin
Synonyms
  • annotation

    more formal; often refers to a scholarly or systematic explanatory note

  • gloss

    a brief explanation of a difficult word or phrase, especially in ancient texts

Usage Note

Common in academic and publishing contexts. These comments are written additions that explain or criticise the main text, and they may appear as marginalia, footnotes, or endnotes.

3. the words 'no comment' spoken to show that you will not give an answer, particul

3.nounC2
Definition

the words 'no comment' spoken to show that you will not give an answer, particularly when dealing with the media or people in authority

Example

When asked about the merger, the CEO said 'no comment' to reporters.

fixed phrase: 'no comment' as direct speech

The senator gave a firm 'no comment' and walked away from the cameras.

Common collocations
  • no comment
  • refuse to comment
  • give no comment
  • say no comment
Synonyms
  • silence

    not identical — silence is merely the absence of speech, while 'no comment' is an active refusal to answer

Usage Note

The phrase 'no comment' functions as a complete utterance. It can also be used as a countable noun referring to the act of refusing to answer ('he gave a firm no comment'). This is the only sense where 'comment' refers to a deliberate refusal rather than an opinion.

Common Mistakes

I have no comments about the matter.' (meaning a refusal)
No comment.
the fixed expression is singular and stands alone as a complete sentence.
Idioms

no comment

idiom

A phrase used to say that you have nothing to say about a particular subject.

When the reporter asked about the scandal, the CEO said 'No comment'.

Did the politician answer your question? No, she just said 'No comment'.

comment — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Remark', 'observation', 'note', and 'commentary' are all related to 'comment', but each has a different flavour. 'Comment' is the broadest term — it covers any spoken or written expression of opinion, from a casual blog post ('she left a comment on my page') to a formal statement ('the minister's comments on trade policy'). 'Remark' is more casual and often brief, used for something said in passing ('he made a witty remark about the weather'). 'Observation' suggests careful noticing and is slightly more formal ('her observation about customer behaviour was insightful'). 'Note' is shorter and more factual than a full comment ('the report notes a rise in unemployment'). 'Commentary' refers to a series of ongoing comments, not a single one — like a sports commentator's running description of a match.

remark ↗observation ↗note ↗commentary ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • no comment
  • make a comment
  • comment on
  • decline to comment

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'comment' traces back to the Latin verb 'commentari', meaning 'to think over' or 'to devise', which in turn came from 'com-' ('together') and 'mens, ment-' ('mind, thought'). The noun 'commentum' meant 'invention' or 'something thought up'. Via French, 'comment' entered English in the 14th century, first carrying the meaning of a written explanation of a text — the scholarly footnote sense. By the 1500s it had broadened to any expression of opinion, spoken or written.