Dictionary

complacent en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /kəmˈpleɪsənt/

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin complacēns (“very pleasing”), present participle of complacēre (“to please at the same time, be very pleasing”), from com- (“together”) + placēre (“to please”); see please and compare complaisant.

Meanings

1. Uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements; smug.
   • He grew complacent as the years rolled on and the money rolled in.
   • England will feel confident but not complacent against Ukraine, and the shock exit of France to Switzerland shows no-one can be taken lightly. 2021 June 29, Phil McNulty, “England 2-0 Germany”, in BBC Sport:
2. Unduly unworried or apathetic with regard to a need or problem.
   • He tried to paint his audience as complacent, yelling that if they weren't mad as hell then they weren't paying enough attention.

Forms

Deriveds

uncomplacent · overcomplacent · complacentry · self-complacent · complacently

Relateds

complacency · complacence

Synonyms

smug · placid · self-satisfied

Translations (39)

uk самозадово́лений (uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements) · nl zelfingenomen (uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements) · el αυτάρεσκος (uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements) · ru самодово́льный (uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements) · sv självgod (uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements) · cs lhostejný (unworried about an apparent problem) · oc complasent (uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements) · hu önelégült (uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements) · pl obojętny (unworried about an apparent problem) · hu öntelt (uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements) · de selbstzufrieden (uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements) · fi omahyväinen (uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements) · sv egenkär (uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements) · eo memkontenta (uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements) · mi kiriora (uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements) · nl makkelijk (uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements) · pt complacente (uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements) · sv självbelåten (uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements) · cs samolibý (uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements) · ca complaent (uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements) · es autocomplaciente (uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements) · nb selvtilfreds (uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements) · de selbstgefällig (uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements) · fr suffisant (uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements) · cmn 得意 (uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements) · cmn 自滿 /自满 (uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements) · es demasiado satisfecho (uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements) · ja 独り善がり (uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements) · nl zelftevreden (uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements) · cs sám se sebou spokojený (uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements) · es contentadizo (uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements) · pl zadowolony z siebie (uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements) · sl samozadovoljen (uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements) · gd somalta (uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements) · sh samozadovoljan (uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements) · fi itsetyytyväinen (uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements) · nl zelfgenoegzaam (uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements) · pdt eendoontich (uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements) · uk самовдово́лений (uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements)