as in gracious
formal
willing or eager to please other people
a complaisant young intern who happily accepted any task
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Recent Examples of complaisant
And would require a fully complaisant leader in Iran.
—
Melik Kaylan, Forbes.com, 26 Feb. 2026
Most casual chatbot users might be forgiven for finding their interlocutor banal or complaisant.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
In this frigid state, electrons become complaisant enough to forgo their usual resistance and flow frictionlessly.
—Dan Garisto, Scientific American, 7 Oct. 2025
Now, each time is like this, complaisant, Emil pretending to be only half awake.
—Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
Every day, Congress and the media stand by in complaisant silence that tells the rest of the world we U.S. citizens cannot be trusted to elect prudent leaders.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 13 July 2025
However, Imperial County landowners and complaisant U.S. Bureau of Reclamation officials ignored that limit, allowing rapid consolidation of land, says Andrés, who wrote his doctoral dissertation on the county’s early years.
—Janet Wilson, ProPublica, 9 Nov. 2023
Last month Ferrari lofted its banners over a resort near the southern port of Cagliari and invited journalists to test-drive the new Ferrari Roma Spider, taking advantage of the excellent tarmac, ideal weather and complaisant authorities.
—Dan Neil, WSJ, 5 Oct. 2023
Overall, the song feels like a deep analysis and reflection on the complaisant position men may take in love and relationships, giving us a track that reams out awful boyfriends and the mindless behavior of their partners who continue to allow them back into their lives to act this way.
—Abby Dupes, Seventeen, 21 May 2022
Melik Kaylan, Forbes.com, 26 Feb. 2026
Most casual chatbot users might be forgiven for finding their interlocutor banal or complaisant.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
In this frigid state, electrons become complaisant enough to forgo their usual resistance and flow frictionlessly.
—Dan Garisto, Scientific American, 7 Oct. 2025
Now, each time is like this, complaisant, Emil pretending to be only half awake.
—Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
Every day, Congress and the media stand by in complaisant silence that tells the rest of the world we U.S. citizens cannot be trusted to elect prudent leaders.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 13 July 2025
However, Imperial County landowners and complaisant U.S. Bureau of Reclamation officials ignored that limit, allowing rapid consolidation of land, says Andrés, who wrote his doctoral dissertation on the county’s early years.
—Janet Wilson, ProPublica, 9 Nov. 2023
Last month Ferrari lofted its banners over a resort near the southern port of Cagliari and invited journalists to test-drive the new Ferrari Roma Spider, taking advantage of the excellent tarmac, ideal weather and complaisant authorities.
—Dan Neil, WSJ, 5 Oct. 2023
Overall, the song feels like a deep analysis and reflection on the complaisant position men may take in love and relationships, giving us a track that reams out awful boyfriends and the mindless behavior of their partners who continue to allow them back into their lives to act this way.
—Abby Dupes, Seventeen, 21 May 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complaisant
Adjective
-
Bottom-liners had also nixed Gehry’s original design for a more gracious lobby with a cafe out front, not the gloomy one installed against his will.—
Classical Music Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Unbothered in a contrast to many of his stature, Curry is extremely gracious, always stopping for fans to interact personally.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Her government is to scrap a lethal arms exports ban in the coming weeks to promote Japan's defense industry and cooperation with the United States and other friendly nations.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Your community gains volume alongside the Moon bouncing into your friendly 11th house, so your team brainstorm or group chat may suddenly gain momentum regarding an upcoming project.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Jordan has always been thoughtful in his work, though, even as a youngster.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Your natural initiative helps groups move again, while a brief pause keeps choices thoughtful instead of reactive.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Whether that would keep Ferraro a Shark, and whether Grier is amenable to such a contract, is unclear.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
7 Mar. 2026
-
The agreement purports to provide a solution amenable to both Kolter and the Gateway Estates Park Condominium Association.—
Larry Seward,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The cast and crew of The Other Bennet Girl were agreeable indeed on Monday night, at the first official screening of the BBC–BritBox adaptation in central London.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Speech — Intimidation as censorship The First Amendment protects disputable speech, not agreeable.—
Brielle Miller,
Baltimore Sun,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Complaisant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complaisant. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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