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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of complacent
Then, the Cowboys took advantage as the Green Bay offense appeared to get complacent toward the end of the first half.
—
Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2025
Platforms had lulled users into complacent dependency, then sealed off the exits, revealing themselves as extractive monopolies.
—Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
Leaders can no longer afford to be complacent.
—Sarah Barnes-Humphrey, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Americans can no longer be complacent.
—The Denver Post Editorial Board, Denver Post, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for complacent
Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2025
Platforms had lulled users into complacent dependency, then sealed off the exits, revealing themselves as extractive monopolies.
—Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
Leaders can no longer afford to be complacent.
—Sarah Barnes-Humphrey, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Americans can no longer be complacent.
—The Denver Post Editorial Board, Denver Post, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for complacent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complacent
Adjective
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Meanwhile, a debonair and nonchalant judge, Roland Brack (Nicholas Pinnock), who has arranged George’s loan for the expensive property, is also dallying with Hedda and plots to use his influence—his power, rather—to tighten their extramarital bond.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
17 Oct. 2025
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Accompanied by a nonchalant guitar performance, dancer and choreographer Dong Jilan, donning a brown velvet dress and having the same long, wavy hair as Sanmao, woke up from a miniature dune and roamed around the set in a highly spiritual and ceremonial fashion.—
Denni Hu,
Footwear News,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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However, Ralph has a smug attitude when talking to Brad.—
Lisa Stardust,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
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Colum’s smug assurance that the wedding will happen soon is rocked when Ned shows up with news of the Grants’ suspicions about the raid.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The resilience of the fast casual food category also comes from its relatively smaller exposure to the lower income consumers that have been under more pressure in the current macroeconomic environment, Cho noted.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
20 Oct. 2025
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The Santa Fe Opera offers a unique experience by combining traditional opera with casual parking lot tailgating.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Both of our co-founders, along with much of our leadership team, are proud Kentucky natives.—
Olivia Evans,
Louisville Courier Journal,
23 Oct. 2025
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In photos from the show, the proud mom and aunt could be seen walking down the runway hand-in-hand with her two sons, while Zaya led the way in front of them.—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Some might see you as arrogant.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
16 Oct. 2025
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Jackson returns as Wes Bryant, a handsome, intelligent, but arrogant man who had just moved to Seattle and was revealed to be a new medical intern at Grey Sloan.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The first-half goal from Danish forward Mikael Uhre was enough to take the Union to a 20th win of the campaign and an insurmountable 66 points, meaning Inter Miami’s 4-1 win over the New England Revolution was in vain.—
The Athletic Staff,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
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The Dash, at any moment, may try in vain to dock again to change her fate.—
Leanna Renee Hieber,
Big Think,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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As a direct result of this, businesses end up with managers who aren’t confident in their ability to lead, and who struggle to deal with the various challenges that come with managing people, leading both employees and struggling managers to resign.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
23 Oct. 2025
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In fact, Golden State was feeling so confident that their television network decided to take a playful jab at Lakers superstar LeBron James.—
Ricardo Klein,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Complacent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complacent. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.
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