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
That being said, this matchup could still pose the banana peel head coach Mike Elko has thus far avoided if the team is in any way complacent.
—
Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Nov. 2025
This is not the time to be complacent or quiet.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 14 Nov. 2025
Preserving artifacts and retelling the stories of shipwrecks keeps the memories of the victims alive, Horn said, and in learning the stories people across Michigan may continue to memorialize their lives by never growing complacent on the waters of the Great Lakes.
—Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 4 Nov. 2025
The complacent faces of phony mediums swirl in my head, along with unsettling spirit photographs and images of puppies that had died with a sudden yelp for no apparent reason.
—Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for complacent
Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Nov. 2025
This is not the time to be complacent or quiet.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 14 Nov. 2025
Preserving artifacts and retelling the stories of shipwrecks keeps the memories of the victims alive, Horn said, and in learning the stories people across Michigan may continue to memorialize their lives by never growing complacent on the waters of the Great Lakes.
—Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 4 Nov. 2025
The complacent faces of phony mediums swirl in my head, along with unsettling spirit photographs and images of puppies that had died with a sudden yelp for no apparent reason.
—Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for complacent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complacent
Adjective
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Petite and low-slung, the armless silhouette and oversized pillow cushions feel nonchalant but not sloppy, and can easily bring some dynamic energy to more formal living room seating layouts.—
Audrey Lee,
Architectural Digest,
22 Jan. 2026
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Her nonchalant, soft-glam is so perfectly mesmerizing, my TikTok and social media feeds are flooded with tutorials trying to re-create her signature style.—
Kaitlin Clapinski,
InStyle,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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But that poem is no smug cliché.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
8 Jan. 2026
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Marcello is looking especially smug and evil in this scene for reasons unclear.—
Jessica M. Goldstein,
Vulture,
19 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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The restaurant employs roughly 80 people and has long been known for its casual atmosphere and accessibility in a town increasingly defined by high-end shops and restaurants.—
Spencer Wilson,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Marvel's first series for Disney+ proved to be a home run, for long-term MCU fans and casual viewers alike.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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But the reaction is just as vast, and even more persistent, Angela was proud to tell me about Moon Palace’s place as a node in a larger community network.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
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Now 32, the Canadian is the proud owner of 25 X Games medals, including 14 gold total and eight in the slopestyle discipline.—
Michelle Bruton,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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In the early years of his fame as a writer, Rushdie had something of a reputation for being prickly and arrogant, but Gibney’s portrait reveals a man mellowed by time and experience.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Jan. 2026
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Spock is this brilliant, arrogant, aloof-to-the-point-of-obnoxiousness genius.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
18 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Complacent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complacent. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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