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
Dominant players become complacent.
—
Dr. Nadya Zhexembayeva, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
Complacent Experts say companies just got complacent.
—Contessa Brewer,dawn Giel, CNBC, 19 May 2026
Nobody wants that, nobody is complacent, nobody wants average.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 May 2026
Supporters of the president's party often become more complacent after a presidential election, given their preferred party is running things.
—Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 9 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for complacent
Dr. Nadya Zhexembayeva, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
Complacent Experts say companies just got complacent.
—Contessa Brewer,dawn Giel, CNBC, 19 May 2026
Nobody wants that, nobody is complacent, nobody wants average.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 May 2026
Supporters of the president's party often become more complacent after a presidential election, given their preferred party is running things.
—Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 9 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for complacent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complacent
Adjective
-
This nonchalant maneuver enables Jefferson to extol America as the seat and refuge of liberty over and against the contradictions of the hour.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 June 2026
-
Behind the black shades, the 22-year-old looked like a mirror image of her mom, channeling Paltrow's signature nonchalant pose.—
Chanel Vargas,
InStyle,
5 June 2026
Adjective
-
Most smug articles and books that claim to provide quick fixes come off as tone-deaf or even counterproductive.—
Anna Holmes,
The Atlantic,
27 May 2026
-
But the series’ central character, played by Rachel Weisz, has enough nervous, itchy, manic energy to make the show’s narrative structure feel purposely unstable rather than safely smug.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
Families, longtime soccer fans and casual viewers mixed on the concourse, creating a festival atmosphere with chants, flags and interactive soccer activities on the field.—
Gabby Sartori,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
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That wistful undertow stems from Zimmerman’s casual acceptance of his advancing age.—
Stephen Thomas Erlewine,
Pitchfork,
22 June 2026
Adjective
-
Mamdani, proud of his socialist values, had developed a language for communicating a collective, interdependent vision of city life through his consistent emphasis on affordability.—
Hua Hsu,
New Yorker,
22 June 2026
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This is also where the film dips into the past and becomes awash in the proud history of Hawaiian surfing, bowing at the legend of the great Duke Kahanamoku and going deep into others and how the sport became such a religion for many, notably devotee Kristen.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
22 June 2026
Adjective
-
The passage is incoherent, yet, in conflating progressive reform with arrogant blind faith, it is perfectly suited to Vance’s cynical conservatism.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
19 June 2026
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To no one’s surprise, Bonnie is immediately transfixed by her Lilypad (voiced by Greta Lee, whose arrogant smarm effectively threads the needle between Maya Hawke’s Anxiety and Regina George’s everything else).—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Complacent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complacent. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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