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. See complaisant
   an obsolete word for complaisant

Derived Forms

• comˈplacently, adverb

Other Words From

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

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 )

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

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.

From Washington Post

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

From Washington Post

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

From Washington Blade

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.

From Washington Post

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

From The Daily Beast

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

From The Daily Beast

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

From The Daily Beast

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

From The Daily Beast

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

From The Daily Beast

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

From Project Gutenberg

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

From Project Gutenberg

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

From Project Gutenberg

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

From Project Gutenberg

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

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• confident
• happy
• pleased
• satisfied
• self-righteous
• smug