complacency

noun

com·pla·cen·cy kəm-ˈplā-sᵊn(t)-sē

plural complacencies

Synonyms of complacency next

: self-satisfaction especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies

When it comes to safety, complacency can be dangerous.

: an instance of usually unaware or uninformed self-satisfaction

Examples of complacency in a Sentence

He sees a dangerous sense of complacency about the U.S. stock market—where investors were emboldened after the 1998 downturn was followed by a resounding snapback. —

Bernard Wysocki, Jr., Wall Street Journal, 3 Aug. 1999

He spoke, however, with resignation, even complacency, rather than anguish. —

Harriet Ritvo, The Platypus and The Mermaid, 1997

… you say to yourself, "OK, why did it happen? Why did we make those bad engineering decisions we made in 1967 and 1986 with Challenger?" I'll tell you. It's the human element. And I suggest that there's a complacency there that comes from success. —

Alan Shepard, Yankee, October 1991

Tony Brace lived in Richmond, in circumstances of impeccable domestic content. Matthew and Susan had visited, in the early days of their marriage; driving home, they had mocked the décor and the connubial complacency. —

Penelope Lively, City Of The Mind, 1991

The public was lulled into complacency. a momentary complacency that was quickly dispelled by the shock of cold reality

Recent Examples on the Web

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.

There may be some irony in watching Semmelweis argue against complacency, as what’s tried and true narratively still proves effective in the film itself. —

Stephen Saito, Variety, 19 Nov. 2024 Comfort can lull us into a sense of dull complacency, and fear comes in the form of a poisonous bouquet of toxicity that paralyzes us. —

Cherie Kloss, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024 Memories of 2016—and Hillary Clinton losing despite having a lead in the polls—make complacency among supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris impossible. —

Christine Adams / Made By History, TIME, 5 Nov. 2024 Learning From Crypto's Experience Crypto's turbulent history provides a road map of pitfalls to avoid: Avoid complacency: Recognize that public trust must be earned and maintained through consistent action and communication. —

Nina Turner, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for complacency