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
To jolt them out of their complacency, the solar industry came to rely on one of the oldest—and most annoying—sales techniques: indiscriminately banging on doors.
—Brendan I. Koerner, WIRED, 13 Jan. 2025
While Detroit is playing its best basketball in seven years, both its coach and franchise player are forbidding complacency.
—Hunter Patterson, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
Ultimately, this is a timely and urgent book that challenges leaders to confront their complacency about just how close the world is to midnight on the nuclear clock.
—Michael Sheldrick, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024
Foxes rummage for opportunities, wary of complacency and getting too tied down.
—Nate Silver, WIRED, 19 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for complacency 
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Brendan I. Koerner, WIRED, 13 Jan. 2025
While Detroit is playing its best basketball in seven years, both its coach and franchise player are forbidding complacency.
—Hunter Patterson, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
Ultimately, this is a timely and urgent book that challenges leaders to confront their complacency about just how close the world is to midnight on the nuclear clock.
—Michael Sheldrick, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024
Foxes rummage for opportunities, wary of complacency and getting too tied down.
—Nate Silver, WIRED, 19 Dec. 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 22 Jan. 2025.
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complacency
noun
com·pla·cen·cy
kəm-ˈplās-ᵊn-sē
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