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Complaisant: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Complaisant adjective. Willing to please others and go along with what they want.
How to say it
kum-PLAY-zunt/kəmˈpleɪz(ə)nt/
3 syllables, stressed on the second (PLAY).
Complaisant in a sentence
The complaisant host agreed to every last-minute change to the menu.
She found him a little too complaisant, never once disagreeing with the boss.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- obliging
- accommodating
- compliant
- agreeable
Opposite:
- obstinate
- contrary
Usage note
Complaisant means obliging to others; complacent means pleased with yourself. The first looks outward, the second inward.
Don’t confuse with complacent
complacent (adjective): Smugly satisfied with how things are, and so not alert to danger.
Where complaisant comes from
From French complaisant, pleasing, from Latin complacere.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
She found him a little too _____, never once disagreeing with the boss.
- torturous
- imminent
- complaisant
Show the answer
complaisant: She found him a little too complaisant, never once disagreeing with the boss.