The complacent meaning is feeling so satisfied with yourself or with how things are going that you stop making an effort or stop noticing dangers. A complacent team that is winning easily may stop training hard and then lose to a weaker side.
It is almost always a warning word. Being content is fine; being complacent means the comfort has made you careless. Below is a plain complacent definition, examples from work, health and sport, the noun complacency, and the old mix-up with the look-alike word complaisant.
Entry at a glance
Meaning
Smugly satisfied and therefore careless about risks or improvementPart of speech
AdjectivePronunciation
kuhm-PLAY-suhntWord forms
complacency, complacence (nouns); complacently (adverb)Origin
Latin complacere, to please greatly; in English from the 17th century, first meaning pleasingOpposite
vigilant, alert, driven, dissatisfiedClose words
smug, self-satisfied, lax, overconfident
Complacent meaning, step by step
Complacent has two parts packed inside it:
- Satisfaction. You feel pleased, safe or secure about your position, skills or results.
- Neglect. Because of that feeling, you relax too much. You skip checks, stop improving or ignore warning signs.
Without the second part, you would simply be content. It is the careless side that makes the word critical. A pilot who has flown a route a thousand times and stops running the checklist is complacent, not just experienced.
Examples in sentences
- After two years without a break-in, the office grew complacent about locking the back door.
- Don't get complacent just because you passed the first test; the final is harder.
- Health officials warned that people were becoming complacent about handwashing.
- The champions played complacently in the first half and were two goals down by the break.
- Complacency, not lack of talent, cost the company its lead in the market.
How to use complacent
Common patterns:
- become / grow / get complacent: Don't grow complacent.
- complacent about something: complacent about safety, complacent about savings.
- a complacent attitude / smile / tone: showing smug self-satisfaction.
- no room for complacency: a favourite phrase of managers, coaches and officials.
Complacent describes people, groups and attitudes. It can describe a place or system by extension: a complacent industry that has not changed in decades.
Complacent or complaisant?
The pair differ by one sound and even share a Latin root, but they now mean different things.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| complacent | smugly satisfied, careless | a complacent manager ignoring complaints |
| complaisant | eager to please, going along with others | a complaisant host who agreed to every request |
Complaisant (kuhm-PLAY-zuhnt) is rare today. If you mean too relaxed or self-satisfied, the word you want is almost always complacent.
Close words and the opposite
- Smug stresses showing off your self-satisfaction; complacent stresses the carelessness it causes.
- Overconfident means believing you are better than you are; a complacent person may be right about their skill but still stop trying.
- Lax means not strict enough, especially about rules.
- Opposite: vigilant or alert (watching for danger), driven (always pushing to improve).
For more words about attitudes, see arrogant, naive and diligent, the hard-working opposite in spirit.
Where complacent came from
Latin complacere meant "to please very much" (com-, used for emphasis, plus placere, to please, the root of please and pleasant). English writers of the 1650s used complacent simply to mean pleasing. By the late 18th century it had shifted to being pleased with yourself, and from there the modern sense of careless self-satisfaction grew. The look-alike complaisant came through French from the same verb.
Find more words about character and moods in our people and feelings section.
Frequently asked questions
Is complacent a negative word?
Yes, nearly always. It suggests that comfort or past success has made someone lazy or blind to risk. Saying someone is content is neutral; calling them complacent is a criticism.
What does it mean to become complacent at work?
It means you have stopped checking, learning or improving because the job feels routine and safe. Mistakes and missed chances often follow.
How do you define complacent in simple words?
Complacent means too pleased with how things are, so you stop being careful or stop trying. You might use it for someone who has got too comfortable.
Which noun goes with complacent?
Complacency is the usual noun, as in there is no room for complacency. Complacence also exists but is much less common.
How do you pronounce complacent?
Say kuhm-PLAY-suhnt. The middle syllable is stressed and rhymes with place.
Can a country or company be complacent?
Yes. Writers often say a government, industry or business has become complacent when it ignores new competition or growing risks.