Master confusing words with ease
Complacent vs. Complaisant
Complacent
/kəmˈpleɪsənt/Examples:
His complacent attitude hindered his growth.Don't become complacent with your current skills.She was complacent about her unchanging routine.
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Antonyms:
Complaisant
/kəmˈpleɪzəns/Examples:
He gave a complaisant nod to everyone in the room.Her complaisant nature made her popular among friends.The manager maintained a complaisant attitude with clients.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Ways to tell them apart:
- Complacent ends with -cent, similar to content, indicating being satisfied or self-satisfied.
- Complaisant ends with -sant, similar to pleasant, suggesting a desire to please others.
- Remember, complacent often has a negative connotation of being unbothered about potential faults or dangers, while complaisant is usually more positive, relating to agreeable behavior.
- Complacent is generally about one's own state of satisfaction, whereas complaisant is about satisfaction in relation to others.
- When you see complacent, think of placement meaning staying in a comfortable position, and for complaisant, think of please suggesting eagerness to please others.
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