1
as in nonchalant
having or showing a lack of interest or concern
the auditors were taken aback by his complacent response to their findings of fraud
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in smug
having too high an opinion of oneself
a complacent junior exec who was certain of his indispensability to the company
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of complacent
Once you are given that (star) label early on, some people get complacent.
—
Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Apr. 2025
Perhaps the setup for Maryland basketball is mostly fine, and the chief takeaway is simply that university administrators can’t be complacent about their coach’s contentment given the financial and competitive complexities of modern college basketball.
—Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 30 Mar. 2025
The German Energy Agency’s report also underlines that EU policy cannot be complacent and calls for incentives to foster more rapid take up including ending fossil fuel subsidies.
—Nick Nuttall, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
But, at a time when the legislative branch has been shamefully supine and the public has been alarmingly complacent, the federal courts represent the last best hope—at least, until the midterm elections—of combatting Trump’s outrages against the Constitution.
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for complacent
Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Apr. 2025
Perhaps the setup for Maryland basketball is mostly fine, and the chief takeaway is simply that university administrators can’t be complacent about their coach’s contentment given the financial and competitive complexities of modern college basketball.
—Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 30 Mar. 2025
The German Energy Agency’s report also underlines that EU policy cannot be complacent and calls for incentives to foster more rapid take up including ending fossil fuel subsidies.
—Nick Nuttall, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
But, at a time when the legislative branch has been shamefully supine and the public has been alarmingly complacent, the federal courts represent the last best hope—at least, until the midterm elections—of combatting Trump’s outrages against the Constitution.
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for complacent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complacent
Adjective
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While a nonchalant approach might protect you from a heartbreak, there's no way to build real relationships without vulnerability and the risk of rejection, Robbins said.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 May 2025
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One video shows some of those on the boat maintaining a nonchalant attitude, with one man joking the vessel had hit an iceberg, Titanic-style.—
Jesse Kirsch,
NBC news,
6 May 2025
Adjective
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To his critics, Jost’s smug humor felt noticeably anachronistic at a time when the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements were calling for a greater awareness of society’s deep inequalities, and for ostensibly liberal institutions to do better.—
Michael Tedder,
The Atlantic,
17 May 2025
-
The series has been characterized by smug antics in defeat.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
16 May 2025
Adjective
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Honestly, for movie nights or casual gaming on a massive screen, this one’s hard to top.—
Shubham Yewale,
PC Magazine,
14 May 2025
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So, keep initiating the catch-ups, accepting invites for casual hangs, attending those after-work dinners and chatting with acquaintances at events.—
Seraphina Seow,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2025
Adjective
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In the next round that year, Boston lost Game 6 at home to the Heat before knocking out Jimmy Butler and his proud team by capturing Game 7 in Miami.—
Jay King,
New York Times,
15 May 2025
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Jaylon is a proud alumnus of the University of Georgia.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
15 May 2025
Adjective
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By losing some of its arrogant charm, Doom has also lost the means to back it up.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
15 May 2025
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For example, when a man in his sixties talks about the same thing, he’s seen as calm and logical, but when a woman in her twenties talks about it, she’s seen as arrogant or trying to act mature.—
Billboard Japan,
Billboard,
15 May 2025
Adjective
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Instead he might have been remembered as another god or angel among many, who came down for a while to heal some bodies, heal some souls, who tried in vain to teach us how to get back to the radix of our lives, then left again.—
Lamorna Ash,
The Dial,
6 May 2025
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Fearing that Williams might go to the New Orleans Saints at No. 9, the 49ers tried in vain to trade up to No. 8 with the Carolina Panthers.—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
5 May 2025
Adjective
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And for any fan of the show — and Wilson’s over-the-top, egotistical Dwight — the lyrics might not be a total surprise.—
Victoria Edel,
People.com,
15 Apr. 2025
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In the 1998 episode, Theroux, 53, appears briefly as an egotistical writer who flirts with Parker’s Carrie Bradshaw at a party.—
John Russell,
People.com,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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And while forever seems like a big word, Duritz feels confident that the band will be with us for quite a while longer.—
Gary Graff,
Billboard,
9 May 2025
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The breed is known to be affectionate, confident and smart, and make gentle family pets, according to the AKC.—
Rachael O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Complacent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complacent. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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