complacent
Americanadjective
-
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
-
agreeable and eager to please.
adjective
-
pleased or satisfied, esp extremely self-satisfied
-
an obsolete word for complaisant
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of complacent
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” ( see com-) + placēre “to seem good” ( see please)
Compare meaning
How does complacent compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Someone who is complacent has become overly content — the junk-food-eating couch potato might be feeling complacent about his health. The literal meaning of this word's Latin root is "very pleased," but even though complacent people may seem pleased with themselves, we are rarely pleased with them. They are unconcerned by things that should concern them, and they may neglect their duties. A complacent person might be heard saying, "Ehh, don't worry about it!" — when there really is something to worry about.
Vocabulary lists containing complacent
Grade 10, List 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The UK has been too complacent about the risk of foreign attack, the boss of Europe's biggest defence contractor BAE Systems has warned.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
But Woodburn said the UK had been complacent for some time about the level of threat it faced - particularly from Russia.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
In other words, investors shouldn’t be complacent, because the risk of a major shift in both countries’ interest-rate environments and a painful unwind of the carry trade is still higher than usual.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 2, 2026
Wiseman said Tuesday that Canada had become too complacent about its economy, over relying on trade with the U.S. to be the main engine of growth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026
“To think I was complacent here, while all this was going on.”
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
