complaisant

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UK/kəmˈpleɪsənt/US/kəmˈpleɪzənt/

adjective

Compliant.

Similar
amenabletractablebiddablecompliantcontrollabledocilegovernableindulgent
OriginFrench complaisant ← Latin complacēre →
RareScrabble 17
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Meanings

adjectivecomplaisant (comparative more complaisant, superlative most complaisant)

comparative more complaisant · superlative most complaisant

  1. Compliant.
  2. Willing to do what pleases others; obliging; agreeable.

    Replay our conversation You threw your accusations I'm always so complaisant I never change the station

    2015 May 12, Rachel Platten, Jon Levine, Scott Jacoby, “Congratulations”, in Fight Song, performed by Rachel Platten

    Synonyms: amenable, tractable, amenable, biddable, compliant, controllable, docile, governable

  3. archaicPolite; showing respect.

    The People who had often heard of me, were very curious to croud about the Sedan, and the Girl was complaiſant enough to make the Bearers ſtop, and to take me in her Hand that I might be conveniently ſeen.

    1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], “The Country Described. […]”, in Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. […] [Gulliver’s Travels], volume I, London: […] Benj[amin] Motte, […], →OCLC, part II (A Voyage to Brobdingnag), pages 222–223

    Synonyms: civil, fair-mannered, respectful, civil, gracious, civilized, correct, courteous

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveWilling to do what pleases others; obliging; agreeable.

Similar
amenabletractableamenablebiddablecompliantcontrollabledocilegovernableindulgentmanageablemaniablemeekpassivepliantrulabletractableyielding

adjectivePolite; showing respect.

Similar
civilfair-manneredrespectfulcivilgraciouscivilizedcorrectcourteouscultivatedfair-manneredgenteelmannerlypolishedpolitepoliticreasonablerefinedurbanewell-behaved

More synonyms by meaning

adjectiveshowing a cheerful willingness to do favors for others

Similar
obligingaccommodatingaccommodative
Also see
accommodatingaccommodativeaffableamenablebiddablecompliantcontrollablecorrectcourteousdocilegovernableindulgentmanageablemaniablemeekobligingpassivepliantpoliterulabletractableyielding

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latincomplacēre“please well”
  2. Frenchcomplaisant“willing to please”
  3. Englishcomplaisant

From French complaisant (“willing to please”), from complaire, from Latin complacēre (“please well”), from com- (“with”) + placeō (“please”).

More words from French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian отстъпчив, внимателен
  • отстъпчив (otstăpčiv)compliant
  • внимателен (vnimatelen)willing to do what pleases others
  • любезен (ljubezen)willing to do what pleases others
  • вежлив (vežliv)polite
Dutch voldoend (aan), passend
  • voldoend (aan)compliant
  • passendcompliant
  • tegemoetkomendwilling to do what pleases others
  • welwillendwilling to do what pleases others
  • willigwilling to do what pleases others
  • tegemoetkomendpolite
  • vriendelijkpolite
  • respectvolpolite
Esperanto cedema, komplezema
  • cedemacompliant
  • komplezemawilling to do what pleases others
  • bonmanierapolite
  • ĝentilapolite
French complaisant
  • complaisantwilling to do what pleases others
German gefällig, entgegenkommend
  • gefälligwilling to do what pleases others
  • entgegenkommendwilling to do what pleases others
  • wohlwollendwilling to do what pleases others
Norwegian Bokmål føyelig, imøtekommende
  • føyeligcompliant
  • imøtekommendewilling to do what pleases others
  • velvilligwilling to do what pleases others
  • villigwilling to do what pleases others
Polish miły, usłużny
  • miłycompliant
  • usłużnywilling to do what pleases others
  • grzecznypolite
Spanish complaciente, complacedor
  • complacientecompliant
  • complacedorcompliant
  • complacederocompliant
  • complacientewilling to do what pleases others
  • complacedorwilling to do what pleases others
  • complacederowilling to do what pleases others
Swedish foglig, tillmötesgående
  • fogligcompliant
  • tillmötesgåendewilling to do what pleases others
  • artigpolite

Rhymes & wordplay

Sounds the same

complacent
Cite this entry
APA

complaisant. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/complaisant

MLA

“complaisant.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/complaisant. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “complaisant,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/complaisant.

Source: complaisant on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.