Complacency

/kəmˈpleɪsənˌsiː/ · noun

Meaning

A feeling of contented self-satisfaction, especially when unaware of upcoming trouble..

Definitions by Sense

1. A feeling of contented self-satisfaction, especially when unaware of upcoming trouble.
2. An instance of self-satisfaction.
3. Passivity as a result of contentment with the current situation.

Example Sentences

Others proclaim the infirmities of a great man with satisfaction and complacency, if they discover none of the like in themselves.

[…] looking at Mr. George Osborne's pale interesting countenance, and those beautiful black, curling, shining whiskers, which the young gentleman himself regarded with no ordinary complacency, she thought in her little heart that in His Majesty's army, or in the wide world, there never was such a face or such a hero.

There was something pathetic in his concentration as if his complacency, more acute than of old, was not enough to him any more. When, almost immediately, the telephone rang inside and the butler left the porch Daisy seized upon the momentary interruption and leaned toward me.

"However, incidents such as the derailment at Walton-on-Thames clearly show us that there is no room for complacency."

Synonyms for complacency

Antonyms for complacency

Related Words

Word Forms

• complacencies
• complacence

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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