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YOUR VOCABULARY, ONE WORD AT A TIME

complacent

Adjective

IPA /kəmˈpleɪsnt/

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Meaning in plain English

Too satisfied with a situation or your own performance to notice problems or make necessary improvements.

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Pronunciation

complacent/kəmˈpleɪsnt/

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  1. We became complacent about security and stopped locking the back door.
  2. A high mark in one test made him complacent about revision.

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We became ________ about security and stopped locking the back door.
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complacent — Too satisfied with a situation or your own performance to notice problems or make necessary improvements.

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Too satisfied with a situation or your own performance to notice problems or make necessary improvements.

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Word origin

From Latin complacent-, meaning pleasing, from complacere, to please.

Did you know?

Become complacent and grow complacent describe a change from effort to excessive satisfaction.

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complacent

/kəmˈpleɪsnt/ (Adjective)

“Complacent is usually critical. Being pleased with progress does not always mean being complacent.”

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