complacent

adjective

com·​pla·​cent kəm-ˈplā-sᵊnt How to pronounce complacent (audio)
1
: marked by self-satisfaction especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies : marked by complacency : self-satisfied
a complacent smile
2
: complaisant sense 1
complacent flattery
3
complacently adverb

Examples of complacent in a Sentence

… I gazed at my mother's poised, beautiful profile as her face turned from side to side, calm or complacent, accepting what the route offered. Donald Hall, Atlantic, October 1996
Mr. Davis organized his second great quintet in the mid-60's, but by then jazz had taken a new turn and many felt he had become passé, a complacent peacock. Gary Giddins, New York Times Book Review, 15 Oct. 1989
… he hopes to break through the reader's complacent indifference, make him aware of his predicament, and force him to take sides. Monroe K. Spears, American Ambitions, 1987
Lord Lathkill … was so completely unostentatious, so very willing to pay all the attention to me, and yet so subtly complacent, so unquestionably sure of his position. D. H. Lawrence, The Complete Short Stories Volume III, (1922) 1981
The strong economy has made people complacent. We have grown too complacent over the years. We can't afford to be complacent about illiteracy.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Cowboys’ front office has grown complacent for decades, thanks in large part to the owner and general manager title being held by the same person. Saad Yousuf, The Athletic, 22 Jan. 2025 There is a sense that President Donald Trump will face less resistance during his second term, that activists are tired, that the country is complacent. Chase Strangio, TIME, 21 Jan. 2025 And voters’ belief that its beneficiaries are complacent elitists skilled only in symbolic victory can no longer be blamed on brainwashing by right-wing media. Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2025 But airlines, aircraft manufacturers, regulatory agencies and the flying public cannot be complacent in the face of the highest flight death total in six years. Michael Goldstein, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for complacent 

Word History

Etymology

Latin complacent-, complacens, present participle of complacēre to please greatly, from com- + placēre to please — more at please

First Known Use

1767, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of complacent was in 1767

Dictionary Entries Near complacent

Cite this Entry

“Complacent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/complacent. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

complacent

adjective
com·​pla·​cent kəm-ˈplās-ᵊnt How to pronounce complacent (audio)
1
: marked by complacency : self-satisfied
a complacent smile
2
: feeling or showing complaisance
complacently adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on complacent

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!