complacent

adjective

kəm-ˈplā-sᵊnt How to pronounce complacent (audio)
Definition of complacentnext
1
as in nonchalant
having or showing a lack of interest or concern the auditors were taken aback by his complacent response to their findings of fraud

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2
as in smug
having too high an opinion of oneself a complacent junior exec who was certain of his indispensability to the company

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of complacent While one team is obsessed with their new coach, Clemson seemed complacent. — Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2026 Bueckers talked about what the team’s mindset has to be, saying that the players have to stay focused and disciplined while not getting complacent. — Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2026 But neither country can afford to be complacent in its lead in AI hardware, said Jeremy Chih-Cheng Chang, the institute’s executive director. — John Liu, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026 Earlier in the afternoon, Becerra’s rival, Republican Steve Hilton, made the case that Democrats like Becerra were complacent in the face of rising costs and an exodus in residents. — Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 12 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for complacent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complacent
  1. nonchalant
  2. smug
  3. casual
  4. proud
  5. arrogant
  6. conceited
Adjective
  • Off-duty models stepped out in nonchalant style, pairing the jeans with basic tops and simple belts, while fashion show attendees elevated the laidback fits with button-down denim shirts, neckties and colorful knitwear.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Just a rugged man in a stream There is, of course, nothing nonchalant about the exchange.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of nonchalant
Adjective
  • Here was my chance to get out of London, this counterfeit of death with its everywhere rage and its moribund culture and its smug population and its streets steeped in resentment and the sky pressing down like a chloroform rag.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Hilton vouches for their integrity, then quickly pivots into an attack on smug Democrats who take voters for granted.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of smug
Adjective
  • The casual setup and price points at Tiger’s Den swing the sushi pendulum away from ultra luxury and back toward its origins in Japan as a quick, working-class meal.
    — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The trick is to break up the jacket-and-skirt combo and pair each with more casual pieces that take the edge off its classic finish.
    — Tatiana Ojea, Glamour, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of casual
Adjective
  • The locker real estate in the team’s second arena was something the proud parent didn’t even consider as part of his son’s Heat takeover.
    — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Musk’s forthright, crusty dad Errol sounds almost proud that something was bullied out of his son, but the movie avoids filling out that traumatic childhood.
    — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of proud
Adjective
  • Wright was known to be arrogant, and his self-importance is on full display here.
    — Wendy S. Walters, Architectural Digest, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Georg, an unemployed auto mechanic, comes across as an arrogant jock.
    — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of arrogant
Adjective
  • Played by Jesse Eisenberg, Zuckerberg is dramatized as a conceited, socially awkward college student who repeatedly burns allies in pursuit of power.
    — Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Meanwhile, Johnson reprises his role as Moana's bantering reluctant partner, the shapeshifting trickster demigod Maui, alongside Jemaine Clement again voicing the conceited giant crustacean Tamatoa.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 9 July 2026
Definition of conceited

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complacency
complacent
complain
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Cite this Entry

“Complacent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complacent. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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