1
as in vanity
an often unjustified feeling of being pleased with oneself or with one's situation or achievements
the complacence of some of the rich kids at the exclusive private school
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disregard
lack of interest or concern
someone who displayed a startling complacence toward his own financial plight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of complacence
But surely there must be a place for civil disobedience and protest that is sufficiently disruptive to rouse people from complacence.
—
Yochai Benkler, Foreign Affairs, 4 Apr. 2012
The campaign used Ivancie’s complacence.
—oregonlive, 1 Feb. 2022
Overwhelming military strength encouraged complacence.
—T.h. Breen, The New York Review of Books, 2 Feb. 2023
The United States veered too far in the direction of complacence after the Cold War, discounting China and Russia’s competitive potential.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 25 July 2022
But the rise and fall of Japan's chipmakers suggests that leaders of the industry today have no room for complacence.
—Eamon Barrett, Fortune, 22 June 2021
His complacence is more nauseating than his weakness.
—Katherine Dunn, The New Yorker, 4 May 2020
There's been a lot of years of complacence from a lot of people who thought everything was OK but weren't really listening to what was going on and what wasn't OK.
—Gary Graff, Billboard, 4 Oct. 2019
That sort of complacence doesn't cut it with consumers in China, where the big three telecom providers are expected to roll out 5G networks in most major cities by the end of this year.
—Aaron Pressman, Fortune, 13 Sep. 2019
Yochai Benkler, Foreign Affairs, 4 Apr. 2012
The campaign used Ivancie’s complacence.
—oregonlive, 1 Feb. 2022
Overwhelming military strength encouraged complacence.
—T.h. Breen, The New York Review of Books, 2 Feb. 2023
The United States veered too far in the direction of complacence after the Cold War, discounting China and Russia’s competitive potential.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 25 July 2022
But the rise and fall of Japan's chipmakers suggests that leaders of the industry today have no room for complacence.
—Eamon Barrett, Fortune, 22 June 2021
His complacence is more nauseating than his weakness.
—Katherine Dunn, The New Yorker, 4 May 2020
There's been a lot of years of complacence from a lot of people who thought everything was OK but weren't really listening to what was going on and what wasn't OK.
—Gary Graff, Billboard, 4 Oct. 2019
That sort of complacence doesn't cut it with consumers in China, where the big three telecom providers are expected to roll out 5G networks in most major cities by the end of this year.
—Aaron Pressman, Fortune, 13 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complacence
Noun
-
Why Digital Products Are Changing the Game Entrepreneurial creators are shifting the narrative away from vanity metrics and toward meaningful income.—
Kristen Bousquet,
Forbes.com,
20 Apr. 2025
-
Other highlights include the nine-foot-plus height for the tray ceiling, a walk-in closet with a skylight, and a primary bath that includes a soaking tub, separate large shower, dual sink vanity, and a private room for the commode.—
James Alexander,
Hartford Courant,
20 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Second, the complete disregard for the speed limit adds to a sense of lawlessness in our city.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Apr. 2025
-
Court records also show Mabry, of Oakland, has two prior felony convictions: second-degree robbery in February 2013 and evading an officer with willful disregard for public safety in June 2022.—
Harry Harris,
Mercury News,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Just like on Succession, the fragile egos, myopic intelligence, and delusional self-righteousness of these uber-wealthy nuts go haywire pretty quickly.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
22 Apr. 2025
-
The leaders who earn trust today are those who anchor their work not in ego or optics, but in meaning—and who cultivate cultures that transform purpose into aligned, high-velocity execution.—
Brent Gleeson,
Forbes.com,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
With devastating indifference, President Donald Trump and his special assistant Elon Musk have crippled Food for Peace, a program few Americans have heard of, but one that did tremendous good for over six decades.—
Made by History,
Time,
23 Apr. 2025
-
The visit, marked by somber prayers and pointed criticism of global indifference, solidified his image as a pope deeply committed to social and economic justice.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Taylor said the team hopes to host a contingent of young players from local club teams, and college players take pride in interacting with them.—
Colleen Kane,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2025
-
Plus, the brand takes pride in their meticulous craftsmanship, with each hat requiring approximately 22 hours to complete.—
Pooja Shah,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
There’s no complacency there in terms of what her improvement and potential can be.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Apr. 2025
-
Perhaps most importantly, market complacency could be shattered overnight, quite literally.—
Joel Shulman,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Solskjaer felt that overconfidence bordering on arrogance might be PSG’s Achilles’ heel.—
Andy Mitten,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2025
-
Titan: Plunges into the chilling 2023 submersible tragedy, peeling back the layers of ambition, arrogance, and a lack of oversight that led to catastrophe.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Complacence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complacence. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share