as in vanity
an often unjustified feeling of being pleased with oneself or with one's situation or achievements
a momentary complacency that was quickly dispelled by the shock of cold reality
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Recent Examples of complacency
As is becoming more and more apparent, the people who brought us success, without Vichai guiding them, fell foul to complacency, poor decision-making and a struggle to adapt to a changing landscape.
—
Rob Tanner, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
Its complacency was personified by the Gandhi family, whose members dominated the Party but appeared diffident and out of touch.
—Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
Yet these recent efforts are insufficient to compensate for more than three decades of complacency and atrophy.
—Michael Brown, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
As the severe storm system moved in, sirens blared for about 20 minutes but were met with complacency and confusion.
—Alex Gurley, People.com, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for complacency
Rob Tanner, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
Its complacency was personified by the Gandhi family, whose members dominated the Party but appeared diffident and out of touch.
—Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
Yet these recent efforts are insufficient to compensate for more than three decades of complacency and atrophy.
—Michael Brown, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
As the severe storm system moved in, sirens blared for about 20 minutes but were met with complacency and confusion.
—Alex Gurley, People.com, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for complacency
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complacency
Noun
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As its name implies, the Emotional Support lip balm ($24), is anything but a vanity project.—
Dahvi Shira,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
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According to nutritionist Payal Kothari, author of The Gut, the rise of the high-protein diet has been driven by a mix of vanity and virality.—
Sara Hussain,
Vogue,
12 May 2025
Noun
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My coat and my ego were a bit tarnished as my husband rushed to help me up.—
James Barron,
New York Times,
15 May 2025
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Also, any shred of ego one has left after a lifetime of motherhood and being a caregiver/support person will get completely zeroed out while milling around a bunch of athletes.—
Denise Snodell,
Kansas City Star,
14 May 2025
Noun
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The crowd erupted in applause, the Chicago Tribune reported, as a wave of pride swept over the city’s Catholic community.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
11 May 2025
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Hudson has been vocal about her pride in her family and their New England fisherman roots.—
Victoria Edel,
People.com,
10 May 2025
Noun
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The Knicks have pulled it off by being resilient, near perfect in spurts and with the help of arrogance from the opponent.—
James L. Edwards III,
New York Times,
15 May 2025
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Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way.—
Jeannie Suk Gersen,
New Yorker,
15 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Complacency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complacency. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
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