Complacent vs Complaisant
complacent
smug/self-satisfied
complaisant
eager to please
How to tell them apart
complaCent = self-Content and smug (C = Comfortable, sitting still). complAISant has "ais" like French plaire = to plEASe, so it means eager to please others.
Test yourself
Fill in the blank: “Only one of these words means smug/self-satisfied. That word is ______.”
Choose: complacent or complaisant
Show answer
Answer: complacent
Complacent means smug/self-satisfied, which matches smug/self-satisfied. Complaisant means eager to please, so it is the wrong choice here.
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