complacent

English

Etymology

From Latin complacens (“very pleasing”), present participle of complacere (“to please at the same time, be very pleasing”), from com- (“together”) + placere (“to please”); see please and compare complaisant.

Pronunciation

• Audio (US)

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• Homophone: complaisant

Adjective

complacent (comparative more complacent, superlative most complacent)

1. Uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements; smug.
2. Apathetic with regard to an apparent need or problem.

Usage notes

• Complacent should not be confused with its homophone, complaisant.

Synonyms

• smug
• self-satisfied

Derived terms

• complacently
• self-complacent

Related terms

• complacence
• complacency

Translations

uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements

Catalan: complaent (ca) Chinese: Mandarin: 得意 (zh) (déyì) Dutch: zelfgenoegzaam, makkelijk, zelftevreden, zelfingenomen (nl) German: selbstgefällig (de), selbstzufrieden (de)

Hungarian: önelégült (hu), öntelt (hu) Japanese: 独り善がり (ja) (ひとりよがり, hitori-yogari) Russian: самодовольный (ru) (samodovól'nyj) Scottish Gaelic: somalta (gd) Swedish: självbelåten (sv), egenkär (sv)

External links

• complacent in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• complacent in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911

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Latin

Verb

complacent

1. third-person plural present active indicative of complaceō