complacent
adjective
com·pla·cent
kəm-ˈplā-sᵊnt 
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.
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
That’s always easier because people start to question you but after City everyone was so positive then people start to get confident and complacent.
—James Pearce, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
Over Super Bowl weekend, fans worried that Kelce was being complacent and breaking his own rule about not going out and socializing in the week before the big game, the Daily Mail reported.
—Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2025
From quantum security threats to the upending of existing business models, the scale of change will be vast and, for those who are complacent, potentially catastrophic.
—Bernard Marr, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
Floridians and even segments of the news media have become too complacent about the chipping away of access to information so essential to a functioning democracy.
—Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Boards, Orlando Sentinel, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for complacent
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James Pearce, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
Over Super Bowl weekend, fans worried that Kelce was being complacent and breaking his own rule about not going out and socializing in the week before the big game, the Daily Mail reported.
—Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2025
From quantum security threats to the upending of existing business models, the scale of change will be vast and, for those who are complacent, potentially catastrophic.
—Bernard Marr, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
Floridians and even segments of the news media have become too complacent about the chipping away of access to information so essential to a functioning democracy.
—Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Boards, Orlando Sentinel, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for complacent
Articles Related to complacent
Cite this Entry
“Complacent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/complacent. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
complacent
adjective
com·pla·cent
kəm-ˈplās-ᵊnt
1
: marked by complacency : self-satisfied
a complacent smile
2
: feeling or showing complaisance
complacently
adverb
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