complacent
adjective
com·pla·cent
kəm-ˈplā-sᵊnt 
1
: marked by self-satisfaction especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies : marked by complacency : self-satisfied
a complacent smile
2
: complaisant sense 1
complacent flattery
3
complacently
adverb
Examples of complacent in a Sentence
… I gazed at my mother's poised, beautiful profile as her face turned from side to side, calm or complacent, accepting what the route offered.
—
Donald Hall, Atlantic, October 1996
Mr. Davis organized his second great quintet in the mid-60's, but by then jazz had taken a new turn and many felt he had become passé, a complacent peacock.
—Gary Giddins, New York Times Book Review, 15 Oct. 1989
… he hopes to break through the reader's complacent indifference, make him aware of his predicament, and force him to take sides.
—Monroe K. Spears, American Ambitions, 1987
Lord Lathkill … was so completely unostentatious, so very willing to pay all the attention to me, and yet so subtly complacent, so unquestionably sure of his position.
—D. H. Lawrence, The Complete Short Stories Volume III, (1922) 1981
The strong economy has made people complacent.
We have grown too complacent over the years.
We can't afford to be complacent about illiteracy.
Donald Hall, Atlantic, October 1996
Mr. Davis organized his second great quintet in the mid-60's, but by then jazz had taken a new turn and many felt he had become passé, a complacent peacock.
—Gary Giddins, New York Times Book Review, 15 Oct. 1989
… he hopes to break through the reader's complacent indifference, make him aware of his predicament, and force him to take sides.
—Monroe K. Spears, American Ambitions, 1987
Lord Lathkill … was so completely unostentatious, so very willing to pay all the attention to me, and yet so subtly complacent, so unquestionably sure of his position.
—D. H. Lawrence, The Complete Short Stories Volume III, (1922) 1981
The strong economy has made people complacent.
We have grown too complacent over the years.
We can't afford to be complacent about illiteracy.
Recent Examples on the Web
At a time when Villa could have been complacent, McGinn was at his scrapping best, picking the pockets of players outside the box and squaring for Leon Bailey.
—Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 13 Mar. 2025
Released the same year as the Cuban Missile Crisis, the short foreshadows films like Fail-Safe and Dr. Strangelove, and given the context of the civil-rights movement, resonates as a conversation between a complacent white man and a person of color who can hear dog whistles.
—Jeremy Fassler, Vulture, 2 Mar. 2025
The distinction between security and defense is an important and urgent one and a reminder of how complacent European governments have been.
—Mike O'Sullivan, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2025
That result and a 2-1 loss at Servette in a qualifier in August — Chelsea went 3-0 up on aggregate only to be punished, like the Legia game, for getting complacent — are the only Conference League games Maresca’s side have not won (out of 13).
—Simon Johnson, New York Times, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for complacent
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Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 13 Mar. 2025
Released the same year as the Cuban Missile Crisis, the short foreshadows films like Fail-Safe and Dr. Strangelove, and given the context of the civil-rights movement, resonates as a conversation between a complacent white man and a person of color who can hear dog whistles.
—Jeremy Fassler, Vulture, 2 Mar. 2025
The distinction between security and defense is an important and urgent one and a reminder of how complacent European governments have been.
—Mike O'Sullivan, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2025
That result and a 2-1 loss at Servette in a qualifier in August — Chelsea went 3-0 up on aggregate only to be punished, like the Legia game, for getting complacent — are the only Conference League games Maresca’s side have not won (out of 13).
—Simon Johnson, New York Times, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for complacent
Cite this Entry
“Complacent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/complacent. Accessed 19 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
complacent
adjective
com·pla·cent
kəm-ˈplās-ᵊnt
1
: marked by complacency : self-satisfied
a complacent smile
2
: feeling or showing complaisance
complacently
adverb
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