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
The history of finance is one of the rise and fall of institutions, sometimes when managers become complacent or greedy.
—Hugh Son, CNBC, 30 May 2025
But Vance urged the supporters not to become complacent and to continue to remain involved in politics for the 2026 election and beyond.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 29 May 2025
She’s become complacent in her profession, and her personal relationships (with Gabriel, Julien and her newborn grandson) are a shambles.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 20 May 2025
Sordi stars as Fabio, a bank clerk who has an utterly complacent attitude about the bourgeois comforts of his life.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for complacent
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Hugh Son, CNBC, 30 May 2025
But Vance urged the supporters not to become complacent and to continue to remain involved in politics for the 2026 election and beyond.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 29 May 2025
She’s become complacent in her profession, and her personal relationships (with Gabriel, Julien and her newborn grandson) are a shambles.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 20 May 2025
Sordi stars as Fabio, a bank clerk who has an utterly complacent attitude about the bourgeois comforts of his life.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 6 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 12 Jun. 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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