I gotta be honest I find your response here annoying as it seems to be arguing against a lot of stuff I haven't said, whilst not engaging with what I said. It also doesn't answer my question.

she obviously likes him cause she's distraught that they're having relationship issues. she was drunk when she made the comment.

I do not see what that has to do with what I wrote. I did not write anything about wether or not she liked him, I am writing about how I interpret what has been said and in this comment you're responding to I am asking about the specific language used. The premise for the post is that she intended to compliment him and he didn't take it as a compliment and now she's distraught. It's a given that she likes him and that she didn't intend this, and I have not argued against either. I don't get why you seem to think that I am.

you seriously wouldn't find it endearing to have your drunk partner give you a silly and awkwardly phrased compliment?

No I actually hate getting compliments from my partner 🙄
This is again not really related to what I'm writing. The discussion isn't wether or not people enjoy compliments, but wether or not what was said is actually a compliment.

But even if I didn't, I would ask about it the next day inatead of abruptly leaving. Surely this could have been cleared up with a short conversation.

Yeah, I agree? Again I'm also not writing about wether or not he was justified in reacting like he did, just how I also do not see it as a compliment.