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complacently

[ kuhm-pley-suhnt-lee ]

adverb

  1. in a pleased or self-satisfied way, often without awareness of some potential danger or defect:

    We are all part of the system that perpetuates these injustices, and we must not stand complacently by.

  2. in a pleasant or compliant way:

    The frog in the pot, unaware of the threat, simply sits complacently until he boils.



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Other Words From

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

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Word History and Origins

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Example Sentences

Musk criticized California in the interview, saying it had become complacent with its status as an economic giant and less attractive to him.

From Fortune

We got lucky early in this pandemic, and I think that made us complacent.

When we view leaders as villains or heroes, he noted, we can get complacent.

The country that birthed Silicon Valley has become complacent about maintaining the scientific and industrial base that made the Valley possible.

It’s important that people in such communities don’t get complacent and think that they are immune to these “outside” issues.

Instead he complacently believed that because the Federal Reserve had defeated inflation, all was well with the economy.

As it came near, it proved to be the clock, with a sail hoisted, and the Goblin sitting complacently in the stern.

And the countess-dowager fanned herself complacently, and neither she nor Maude cared for the absence of a groomsman.

"Mine are enough formed, I know," complacently glancing from her attire to Ida's plain merino, and black silk apron.

The bank nestles very complacently under its lower wing, and in the ratio of its size is a much better looking building.

To encourage himself, he complacently reverted to recent citizen records.

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complacentcomplain