Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Complacent |
ComplacentAdjective1. Contented to a fault; "he had become complacent after years of success"; "his self-satisfied dignity". Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "complacent" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1613. (references) |
Etymology: Complacent \Com*pla"cent\, adjective. [Latin expression complacens very pleasing, present participle of complacere; com- placere to please: compare to the French expression complaisant. See Please and compare to Complaisant.]. (references) |
Synonym: ComplacentSynonym: self-satisfied (adj). (additional references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Benevolence | Adjective: benevolent; kind, kindly; well-meaning; amiable; obliging, accommodating, indulgent, gracious, complacent, good-humored. |
Courtesy | Fine spoken, fair spoken, soft-spoken; honey-mouthed, honey-tongued; oily, bland; obliging, conciliatory, complaisant, complacent; obsequious. |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: Complacent |
| English words defined with "complacent": self-satisfied. (references) |
| Etymologies containing "complacent": Complaisant. (references) |
| Domain | Title |
Books | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Title | Author | Quote |
Les Miserables | Hugo, Victor | It was a boy of less than ten years, ragged, very small, yellow, a mug of a face, a keen eye, monstrous long hair, wet to the skin, a complacent look |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Business | U.S. automobiles and automotive parts enjoy an excellent reputation in the PA. However, U.S. exporters should not be complacent and believe that most types of auto parts will beat out competitors. (references) | |
Economic History | Korea | Thus, it would be a mistake for American business to become complacent about this market, especially since our colleagues from elsewhere in the world are also vigorously pursuing these same business opportunities. (references) |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| Speaker | Phrase(s) |
Elizabeth Taylor | Who is married to the president's daughter, who's expected to be somebody, not just a nobody, a book worm who is so complacent that doesn't have the guts to make anybody proud of them. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Speaker | Term | Phrase(s) |
Gerald Ford | 1974-1977 | History and experience tells us that moral progress cannot come in comfortable and in complacent times, but out of trial and out of confusion. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| "Complacent" is generally used as an adjective (general or positive) -- approximately 100.00% of the time. "Complacent" is used about 309 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Adjective (general or positive) | 100% | 309 | 16,435 |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
| Hypenated Usage | |
Ending with "complacent": Self-complacent. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day |
complacent | 10 |
complacent define | 2 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Language | Translations for "complacent"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Albanian | i vetëkënaqur (coxcombical, egotist, fatuous, jaunty, self sufficient, self-righteous, self-satisfied, smug). (various references) | |
Arabic | راض عن نفسه (pi, puffed up, self-complacent, smug). (various references) | |
Bulgarian | самодоволен (airy, bighead, cock-a-hoop, jaunty, self-righteous, self-satisfied, smug), незаинтересован (dead, disinterested, unconcerned, uninterested). (various references) | |
Chinese | 自滿 (self-satisfied), 得意洋洋, 得意 (pleased with oneself, proud of oneself). (various references) | |
Czech | spokojený (content, contented, fain, glad, happy, pleased, satisfied). (various references) | |
Finnish | omahyväinen (self-satisfied), itseensätyytyväinen (self-satisfied). (various references) | |
French | content de soi, satisfait (content, contented), gentil. (various references) | |
German | selbstzufrieden (self-satisfied, smug). (various references) | |
Greek | ικανοποιημένοσ (content, contented), ευχαριστημένοσ (content, contented, delighted, glad, pleased), αυτάρεσκοσ (self-complacent, self-important, self-satisfied, smug), αυτάρεσκος (full of oneself, smug). (various references) | |
Hebrew | שא ן (at ease, calm, carefree, secure, serene, tranquil). (various references) | |
Hungarian | öntelt (arrogant, cocky, conceited, consequential, coxy, high and mighty, lofty, presuming, priggish, proud, self confident, self-conceited, self-confident, self-important, self-satisfied, self-sufficient, stuck-up), szolgálatkész (accommodating, complaisant, compliant, helpful, obliging, officious, taut), önelégült (self confident, self sufficient, self-complacent, self-righteous, self-satisfied, self-sufficient, smirk, smug). (various references) | |
Italian | compiaciuto (pleased, self-satisfied, smug). (various references) | |
Japanese Kanji | 独り善がり (conceited, self-important, self-satisfied). (various references) | |
Japanese Katakana | ひとりよがり (conceited, self-important, self-satisfied). (various references) | |
Manx | saastagh. (various references) | |
Norwegian | selvtilfreds. (various references) | |
Pig Latin | omplacentcay.(various references) | |
Portuguese | complacente (acquiescent, compliant, indulgent, sympathetic, yielding), satisfeito de si mesmo. (various references) | |
Romanian | mulţumit de sine (self-satisfied). (various references) | |
Russian | благодушный (placable). (various references) | |
Serbo-Croatian | zadovoljan (content, pleased, satisfied). (various references) | |
Spanish | suficiente (adequate, ample, comfortable, d, enough, plenty, plenty of, self-approving, self-complacent, sufficient, supercilious), satisfecho de sí mismo (self-satisfied). (various references) | |
Swedish | självbelåten (self-satisfied, smug). (various references) | |
Turkish | rahat (at ease, at rest, cavalier, comfort, comfortable, comfy, composure, cosy, cushioned, cushy, ease, easy, facile, leisure, luxurious, peace, rest, restful, serene, snug, unconstrained, unconventional, undisturbed, unembarassed, untroubled), ilgisiz (aloof, apathetic, apathetical, careless, disinterested, does not apply, impertinent, incurious, indifferent, insensible, insouciant, irrelevant, listless, lukewarm, nonchalant, oblivious, phlegmatic, phlegmatical, standoffish, superior, unallied, unconcerned, unconnected, uninterested, unobliging, unrelated), halinden memnun (contented, self-complacent, self-satisfied), boşveren. (various references) | |
Ukrainian | самовдоволений (cock-a-hoop, coxcombical, jaunty, opinioned, prick-eared, self-approving, self-complacent, self-righteous, self-satisfied, smug, stuck up), шанобливий (assentaneous, awesome, deferent, deferential, dutiful, honorific, obeisant, respectful, reverent, reverential), послужливий (accommodative, complaisant, obliging, officious). (various references) | |
Vietnamese | vừa ý (content, contented, pleasant), thoả mãn (contented, satiate), tự mãn bằng lòng. (various references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references. | ||
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "complacent": complacently. (additional references) | |
Words ending with "complacent": uncomplacent. (additional references) | |
| |
"Complacent" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: complacant, complaceent, complacenct, complacens, complaceny, complacient, complacment, complaicent, complaient, complament, complancent, complascent, complasent, complecent, compleent, compliacent. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "complacent" (pronounced kumplā"sunt) |
| 10 | k u m p l ā" s u n t | complaisant. |
| 5 | -ā" s u n t | adjacent, nascent. |
| 4 | -s u n t | antidepressant, absent, adolescent, convalescent, conversant, Crescent, incandescent, decent, depressant, dispersant, docent, effervescent, evanescent, fluorescent, incessant, indecent, innocent, iridescent, lucent, luminescent, magnificent, obsolescent, preadolescent, quiescent, recent, reminiscent, reticent, suppressant, translucent, tumescent. |
| 3 | -u n t | agent, aggrandizement, agreement, ailment, alignment, allotment, amazement, ambient, ambivalent, amendment, amusement, ancient, announcement, annulment, antecedent, antigovernment, antioxidant, apartment, apparent, appeasement, applicant, appointment, apportionment, ardent, argent, argument, armament, arraignment, arrangement, arrant, arrogant, absorbent, abstinent, abundant, accelerant, accident, accompaniment, accomplishment, abandonment, abatement, aberrant, abhorrent, abortifacient, accountant, accouterment, achievement, acknowledgement, acknowledgment, adamant, adherent, adjournment, adjustment, adjutant, adornment, advancement, advertisement, advisement, afferent, affiant, affluent, ascendant, aspirant, assailant, assessment, assignment, assistant, assortment, astonishment, astringent, atonement, attachment, attainment, attendant, banishment, basement, battlement, belligerent, bemusement, beneficent, benevolent, bereavement, betterment, bewilderment, blandishment, blatant, bombardment, brilliant, buoyant, celebrant, claimant, clairvoyant, Clement, client, coefficient, cogent, cognizant, coherent, coincident, combatant, commandment, commencement, commitment, compartment, competent, complainant, complement, compliant, component, comportment, concealment, concomitant, concurrent, condiment, confident, confinement, confluent, consequent, consignment, consistent, consonant, constant, constituent, consultant, containment, contaminant, contentment, contestant, continent, contingent, convenient, convent, convergent, coolant, copayment, corespondent, cormorant, correspondent, Courant, covenant, crosscurrent, current, curtailment, ignorant, immanent, immigrant, imminent, impairment, impatient, impeachment, impediment, impertinent, implement, important, impotent, impoundment, impoverishment, impressment, imprisonment, improvement, imprudent, inadvertent, debarment, debasement, decadent, decedent, declarant, decongestant, defendant, deferment, defiant, deficient, defoliant, delinquent, deodorant, department, dependent, deployment, deportment, derailment, descendant, descendent, despondent, detachment, detergent, determent, determinant, deterrent, detriment, development, deviant, different, diligent, diminishment, disagreement, disappointment, disarmament, disbarment, disbursement, discernment, discordant, discouragement, disenchantment, disenfranchisement, disengagement, disestablishment, disgruntlement, disillusionment, disinfectant, disinvestment, dismantlement, dismemberment, disobedient, displacement, dissident, dissonant, distant, divalent, divergent, divestment, dominant, dormant, easement, ebullient, efferent, efficient, effluent, elegant, element, elephant, eloquent, embankment, embarrassment, embayment, embellishment, embezzlement, embodiment, emergent, emigrant, eminent, emplacement, employment, empowerment, enactment, encampment, enchantment, encirclement, encouragement, encroachment, endangerment, endearment, endorsement, endowment, enforcement, engagement, enhancement, enjoyment, enlargement, enlightenment, enlistment, enrichment, enrollment, enslavement, entanglement, entertainment, enticement, entitlement, entombment, entrant, entrapment, entrenchment, environment, equipment, equivalent, errant, escapement, escarpment, esculent, establishment, estrangement, evident, excellent, excitement, excrement, exigent, existent, exorbitant, expectant, expectorant, expedient, experiment, exponent, extant, extinguishment, extravagant, exuberant, exultant, Fabricant, fervent, figment, filament, flagrant, flamboyant, flatulent, flippant, fluent, formant, fragment, fragrant, fraudulent, frequent, fulfillment, gallant, garment, garnishment, giant, government, grandiloquent, grandparent, harassment, hesitant, hydrant, incident, incipient, incitement, inclement, incoherent, incompetent, inconsistent, incontinent, inconvenient, increment, incumbent, independent, indictment, indifferent, indigent, indignant, indolent, inducement, indulgent, inefficient, infant, informant, infotainment, infrequent, infringement, ingredient, inhabitant, inhalant, inherent, inpatient, insignificant, insistent, insolent, insolvent, installment, instant, instrument, insufficient, insurgent, integument, intelligent, intercurrent, interdependent, intermittent, internment, intersegment, intolerant, intransigent, invariant, investment, involvement, irrelevant, irreverent, irritant, itinerant, jubilant, judgement, judgment, latent, leant, lenient, lieutenant, ligament, litigant, lubricant, luxuriant, malevolent, malignant, maltreatment, management, measurement, merchant, micromanagement, migrant, militant, miscreant, misgovernment, misjudgment, mismanagement, misstatement, mistreatment, moment, monovalent, monument, mordant, movement, mutant, negligent, noncombatant, nonexistent, nongovernment, nonmanagement, nonpayment, nonresident, nonviolent, nourishment, nutrient, obedient, observant, occupant, odorant, ointment, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, operant, opponent, opulent, ornament, orpiment, outpatient, outplacement, overconfident, overpayment, overstatement, oxidant, pageant, parchment, parent, parliament, participant, patent, patient, pavement, payment, peasant, penchant, pendant, penitent, pennant, percipient, permanent, persistent, pertinent, petulant, pheasant, pigment, piquant, placement, pleasant, pliant, poignant, pollutant, postponement, postretirement, potent, precedent, predicament, predominant, preeminent, pregnant, prejudgment, prepayment, prescient, present, presentment, prevalent, procurement, proficient, prominent, pronouncement, propellant, proponent, protestant, provident, prudent, prurient, pungent, punishment, pursuant, puzzlement, quadrant, quotient, radiant, rampant, readjustment, reagent, realignment, reappointment, reapportionment, rearmament, rearrangement, reassessment, reassignment, recalcitrant, recipient, recombinant, recruitment, recurrent, redeployment, redevelopment, redundant, reemployment, reenactment, refinement, refreshment, refrigerant, refurbishment, Regent, regiment, registrant, reimbursement, reinforcement, reinstatement, reinvestment, relevant, reliant, reluctant, remnant, repayment, repellent, repentant, replacement, replenishment, repugnant, requirement, resentment, resettlement, resident, resilient, resistant, resonant, resplendent, respondent, restatement, resultant, resurgent, retardant, retirement, retrenchment, reverent, rodent, rudiment, ruminant, sacrament, salient, seafront, sealant, sediment, segment, semipermanent, sentiment, Sequent, sergeant, serpent, servant, settlement, shipment, significant, silent, solvent, somnolent, stagnant, statement, stimulant, strident, stringent, student, subcontinent, subsequent, subservient, succulent, sufficient, supergiant, superintendent, supplement, supplicant, surfactant, talent, tangent, temperament, tenant, tenement, testament, tetravalent, tolerant, torrent, tournament, transcendent, transient, transparent, treatment, trenchant, trident, triumphant, truant, truculent, turbulent, tyrant, undercurrent, underdevelopment, underemployment, undergarment, underpayment, understatement, unemployment, unimportant, unpleasant, unrepentant, urgent, vacant, vagrant, valiant, variant, vehement, verdant, vibrant, vigilant, violent, virulent, warrant, wonderment. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "a-c-c-e-l-m-n-o-p-t" | |
-2 letters: compleat, complect, conepatl. | |
-3 letters: coenact, compact, conceal, concept, lactone, lomenta, omental, peccant, polecat, polenta, telamon. | |
-4 letters: accent, accept, camlet, cancel, cantle, caplet, capote, cental, coempt, comate, compel, copalm, encamp, etalon, lament, lancet, lepton, locate, loment, mantel, mantle, melton, mental, molten, octane, omenta, pelota, placet, planet, platen, pomace, potman, potmen, tampon, teopan, toecap, tolane. | |
| Words containing the letters "a-c-c-e-l-m-n-o-p-t" | |
+2 letters: complacently, uncomplacent. | |
+3 letters: conceptualism, uncomplicated. | |
+4 letters: accomplishment, conceptualisms, noncomplicated. | |
+5 letters: accomplishments, complicatedness, photomechanical. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Commercial | 5. Images: Slideshow 6. Quotations: Fiction 7. Quotations: Non-fiction 8. Quotations: Spoken | 9. Quotations: Speeches 10. Usage Frequency 11. Expressions 12. Expressions: Internet | 13. Translations: Modern 14. Derivations 15. Rhymes 16. Anagrams | 17. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
