adj · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/kəmˈpleɪsənt/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
homophone: complaisant
CMU ARPABET:K AH0 M P L EY1 S AH0 N T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements; smug.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
He grew complacent as the years rolled on and the money rolled in.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Unduly unworried or apathetic with regard to a need or problem.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
He tried to paint his audience as complacent, yelling that if they weren't mad as hell then they weren't paying enough attention.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adjective satellite
Meaning 3
contented to a fault with oneself or one's actions
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
he had become complacent after years of success
his self-satisfied dignity
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: self-satisfied, self-complacent
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin complacēns (“very pleasing”), present participle of complacēre (“to please at the same time, be very pleasing”), from com- (“together”) + placēre (“to please”); see please and compare complaisant.
Across languages
Translations
38 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Catalan:
complaent
— uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements
Chinese Mandarin:
得意
(déyì)
— uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements
Chinese Mandarin:
自滿 /自满
(zìmǎn)
— uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements
Czech:
samolibý
— uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements
Czech:
sám se sebou spokojený
— uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements
Dutch:
zelfgenoegzaam
— uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements
Dutch:
makkelijk
— uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements
Dutch:
zelftevreden
— uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements
Dutch:
zelfingenomen
— uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements
Esperanto:
memkontenta
— uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements
Finnish:
itsetyytyväinen
— uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements
Finnish:
omahyväinen
— uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements
French:
suffisant
— uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements
German:
selbstgefällig
— uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements
German:
selbstzufrieden
— uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements
Greek:
αυτάρεσκος
(aftáreskos)
— uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements
Hungarian:
önelégült
— uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements
Hungarian:
öntelt
— uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements
Japanese:
独り善がり
(hitori-yogari)
— uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements
Māori:
kiriora
— uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements
Norwegian Bokmål:
selvtilfreds
— uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements
Occitan:
complasent
— uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements
Plautdietsch:
eendoontich
— uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements
Polish:
zadowolony z siebie
— uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements
Portuguese:
complacente
— uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements
Russian:
самодово́льный
(samodovólʹnyj)
— uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements
Scottish Gaelic:
somalta
— uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements
Serbo-Croatian:
samozadovoljan
— uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements
Slovene:
samozadovoljen
— uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements
Spanish:
autocomplaciente
— uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements
Spanish:
contentadizo
— uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements
Swedish:
självbelåten
— uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements
Swedish:
självgod
— uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements
Swedish:
egenkär
— uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements
Ukrainian:
самозадово́лений
(samozadovólenyj)
— uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements
Ukrainian:
самовдово́лений
(samovdovólenyj)
— uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements
Czech:
lhostejný
— unworried about an apparent problem
Polish:
obojętny
— unworried about an apparent problem
