🇩🇪German Source WordCode: DE

Selbstzufriedenheit

Pronunciation / Transliteration: zɛlbstˈtsuːfʁiːdn̩haɪt

🇬🇧 Direct English Meaning:
Complacency/kəmˈpleɪ.sən.si/
nounCEFR C1 (Advanced)Top #14500 frequency
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🇩🇪 Example Sentence in German:

"Die größte Gefahr für das Unternehmen war die zunehmende Selbstzufriedenheit."

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As noun
  1. 1

    A state of smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one's achievements, often accompanied by a lack of urgency or awareness of potential risks.

    "A period of economic growth can sometimes lead to dangerous complacency among business leaders."
  2. 2

    Quiet pleasure or contentment.

    "She smiled with mild complacency as she listened to the praise."

Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from the Latin complacentia, from complacere meaning 'to please greatly' (com- meaning 'thoroughly' plus placere 'to please'). In the 17th century, it shifted from meaning mutual pleasure or complaisance to denoting a quiet, often uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one's situation, inherently reflecting a dangerous lack of urgency.

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