complacency
noun
com·pla·cen·cy
kəm-ˈplā-sᵊn(t)-sē 
plural complacencies
1
: self-satisfaction especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies
When it comes to safety, complacency can be dangerous.
2
: an instance of usually unaware or uninformed self-satisfaction
Synonyms
- amour propre
- bighead
- complacence
- conceit
- conceitedness
- ego
- egotism
- pomposity
- pompousness
- pride
- pridefulness
- self-admiration
- self-assumption
- self-conceit
- self-congratulation
- self-esteem
- self-glory
- self-importance
- self-love
- self-opinion
- self-satisfaction
- smugness
- swelled head
- swellheadedness
- vaingloriousness
- vainglory
- vainness
- vanity
Examples of complacency in a Sentence
He sees a dangerous sense of complacency about the U.S. stock market—where investors were emboldened after the 1998 downturn was followed by a resounding snapback.
—
Bernard Wysocki, Jr., Wall Street Journal, 3 Aug. 1999
He spoke, however, with resignation, even complacency, rather than anguish.
—Harriet Ritvo, The Platypus and The Mermaid, 1997
… you say to yourself, "OK, why did it happen? Why did we make those bad engineering decisions we made in 1967 and 1986 with Challenger?" I'll tell you. It's the human element. And I suggest that there's a complacency there that comes from success.
—Alan Shepard, Yankee, October 1991
Tony Brace lived in Richmond, in circumstances of impeccable domestic content. Matthew and Susan had visited, in the early days of their marriage; driving home, they had mocked the décor and the connubial complacency.
—Penelope Lively, City Of The Mind, 1991
The public was lulled into complacency.
a momentary complacency that was quickly dispelled by the shock of cold reality
Bernard Wysocki, Jr., Wall Street Journal, 3 Aug. 1999
He spoke, however, with resignation, even complacency, rather than anguish.
—Harriet Ritvo, The Platypus and The Mermaid, 1997
… you say to yourself, "OK, why did it happen? Why did we make those bad engineering decisions we made in 1967 and 1986 with Challenger?" I'll tell you. It's the human element. And I suggest that there's a complacency there that comes from success.
—Alan Shepard, Yankee, October 1991
Tony Brace lived in Richmond, in circumstances of impeccable domestic content. Matthew and Susan had visited, in the early days of their marriage; driving home, they had mocked the décor and the connubial complacency.
—Penelope Lively, City Of The Mind, 1991
The public was lulled into complacency.
a momentary complacency that was quickly dispelled by the shock of cold reality
Recent Examples on the Web
And yet, eight years after the idea popped into his head, at last his bold opus has come to the big screen, ready to jolt audiences out of their complacency.
—Tim Grierson, Rolling Stone, 7 Dec. 2024
Chronic complacency has long been a challenge for South Korea.
—William Pesek, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
These men’s complacency, The Seed of the Sacred Fig argues, isn’t just a selfish act of self-preservation.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 27 Nov. 2024
The real test, however, will not arise in the immediate weeks or months but in the years to come, when complacency sets in, and restraint will be attractive.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for complacency 
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Tim Grierson, Rolling Stone, 7 Dec. 2024
Chronic complacency has long been a challenge for South Korea.
—William Pesek, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
These men’s complacency, The Seed of the Sacred Fig argues, isn’t just a selfish act of self-preservation.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 27 Nov. 2024
The real test, however, will not arise in the immediate weeks or months but in the years to come, when complacency sets in, and restraint will be attractive.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for complacency
Dictionary Entries Near complacency
Cite this Entry
“Complacency.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/complacency. Accessed 19 Dec. 2024.
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complacency
noun
com·pla·cen·cy
kəm-ˈplās-ᵊn-sē
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