Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

complacent

/kəmˈpleɪsənt/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.19 in modern English

Syllables: com-pla-cent
IPA: /kəmˈpleɪsənt/

18

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

3

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements; smug.

adj

Unduly unworried or apathetic with regard to a need or problem.

Example Sentences

"He grew complacent as the years rolled on and the money rolled in."
"England will feel confident but not complacent against Ukraine, and the shock exit of France to Switzerland shows no-one can be taken lightly."
"He tried to paint his audience as complacent, yelling that if they weren't mad as hell then they weren't paying enough attention."

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.

Origin

Source language: Latin

Word Breakdown

Root: complacēns

Inflected Forms

more complacent (comparative) most complacent (superlative)

Derived Forms

complacently complacentry overcomplacent uncomplacent

Phrases

self-complacent

Frequently Paired Words

complacence complacency

Synonyms

smug self-satisfied placid self-complacent

Homonyms

complaisant

Rhymes With

adjacent nascent complaisant

Questions

How do you pronounce complacent?: The recorded pronunciation is /kəmˈpleɪsənt/.
What does complacent mean?: Uncritically satisfied with oneself or one's achievements; smug.
Where does complacent come from?: It is traced to Latin.

How to pronounce complacent

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “complacent”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/kəmˈpleɪsənt/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “complacent”.
Repeat and practice — Say “complacent” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.