Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for complacent

complacent

[ kuhm-pley-suhnt ]

adjective

  1. pleased, especially with oneself or one's merits, advantages, situation, etc., often without awareness of some potential danger or defect; self-satisfied:

    The voters are too complacent to change the government.

    Synonyms: untroubled, unbothered, smug

  2. agreeable and eager to please.


complacent

/ kəmˈpleɪsənt /

adjective

  1. pleased or satisfied, esp extremely self-satisfied
  2. an obsolete word for complaisant
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


Discover More

Derived Forms

  • comˈplacently, adverb
Discover More

Other Words From

  • com·pla·cent·ly adverb
  • non·com·pla·cent adjective
  • o·ver·com·pla·cent adjective
  • un·com·pla·cent adjective
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of complacent1

First recorded in 1650–60; from Latin complacent- (stem of complacēns, present participle of complacēre “to take the fancy of, please,” equivalent to com- “with, together, completely” ( com- ) + placēre “to seem good” ( please )
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of complacent1

C17: from Latin complacēns very pleasing, from complacēre to be most agreeable to, from com- (intensive) + placēre to please
Discover More

Compare Meanings

How does complacent compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

Discover More

Example Sentences

I’m actually disturbed that much of the scientific and public health community seems complacent to make their best guesses and move on without getting to the root cause of the pandemic.

A few good, plentiful harvests since allowed winemakers and growers to become complacent.

Britany is complacent and calls each of her conquests “her boyfriend.”

Keeping a dynamic mindset and test-and-adapt approach is the surest way to stay in front of competition — and it’s a sure bet against becoming complacent.

From Digiday

This move by Ohio mirrors what other states have done to spur skeptical or complacent residents to get vaccinated, but with a bigger enticement.

The more people are comfortable and complacent, the more it plays into things that are destroying the world.

The final score flattered Brazil, which had looked ragged and complacent for much of the game.

She declared, “We cannot remain complacent as this administration takes aim at our children.”

It alerted people to the fact that a lot had become complacent about the possibility of a bear attack.

In politically complacent Japan, thousands of citizens took to the street in the last two weeks to protest the measure.

He motioned Harkness to a chair and resumed his complacent contemplation of a picture that was flowing across a screen.

"It means I wouldn't get married till you are married, anyway," was the complacent answer.

Savary declared that the smiling and complacent young Czar thought the remark delightful.

That complacent remark struck the ear awry, like the whine of a deacons report at a Sunday-school convention.

Gabriel uttered "a little" in a tone to show her that it was the complacent form of "a great deal."

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


complacencycomplacently