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.
Synonyms:
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 contains an e immediately after the c, indicating a self-sufficiency or satisfaction without awareness of potential danger.
- Complaisant ends with sant, similar to the word pleasant, which helps to remember its association with being agreeable or compliant.
- Complacent suggests a passive unawareness, often with a negative connotation of being smug or unbothered.
- Complaisant carries a positive aspect of willingness to please or being obliging.
- Visually, complacent has an extra e, as if it is full of itself, whereas complaisant has ais like assist, pointing towards helpfulness.
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