complaisant

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: com=plai=sant

CIDE DICTIONARY

complaisant, a. [F. complaisant, p. pr. of complaire to acquiesce as a favor, fr. L. complacere. See Complacent.].

 Desirous to please; courteous; obliging; compliant; as, a complaisant gentleman.  [1913 Webster]
"There are to whom my satire seems too bold:
Scarce to wise Peter complaisant enough."

Syn. -- Obliging; courteous; affable; gracious; civil; polite; well-bred. See Obliging.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

complaisant, adj.
1 politely deferential.
2 willing to please; acquiescent.

Usage

Often confused with complacent.

Derivative

complaisance n.

Etymology

F f. complaire (stem complais-) acquiesce to please, f. L complacere: see COMPLACENCY

THESAURUS

complaisant

abject, accepting, accommodating, accommodative, acquiescent, adaptable, adaptive, adjustable, affable, agreeable, amiable, amicable, assenting, attentive, benevolent, benign, benignant, blissful, cheerful, civil, compatible, compliable, compliant, complying, conformable, congenial, consenting, considerate, cordial, courteous, decent, deferential, delicate, desirable, dulcet, easy, en rapport, enjoyable, fair, fair and pleasant, felicific, felicitous, fine, flexible, generous, genial, gentle, good, good-humored, good-natured, good-tempered, goodly, graceful, gracious, grateful, gratifying, harmonious, heart-warming, heedful, helpful, honeyed, indulgent, kind, kindly, lenient, likable, malleable, mellifluous, mellow, mellowy, mild, mindful, mindful of others, mollified, nice, nondissenting, nonresistant, nonresisting, nonresistive, nonrigid, obedient, obliging, other-directed, overindulgent, overpermissive, passive, permissive, plastic, pleasant, pleasing, pleasurable, pleasure-giving, pleasureful, pliant, polite, regardful, resigned, respectful, rewarding, satisfying, servile, soft, soft as putty, softened, solicitous, submissive, subservient, supine, sweet, tactful, tender, thoughtful, tolerant, tractable, unassertive, uncomplaining, unresistant, unresisting, urbane, welcome, whisper-soft

ROGET THESAURUS

complaisant

Courtesy

N courtesy, respect, good manners, good behavior, good breeding, manners, politeness, bienseance, urbanity, comity, gentility, breeding, polish, presence, civility, civilization, amenity, suavity, good temper, good humor, amiability, easy temper, complacency, soft tongue, mansuetude, condescension, affability, complaisance, pr_evenance, amability, gallantry, pink of politeness, pink of courtesy, compliment, fair words, soft words, sweet words, honeyed phrases, ceremonial salutation, reception, presentation, introduction, accueil, greeting, recognition, welcome, abord, respects, devoir, regards, remembrances, kind regards, kind remembrances, love, best love, duty, empty encomium, flattering remark, hollow commendation, salaams, obeisance, bow, courtesy, curtsy, scrape, salaam, kotow, kowtow, bowing and scraping, kneeling, genuflection, obsequiousness, capping, shaking hands grip of the hand, embrace, hug, squeeze, accolade, loving cup, vin d'honneur, pledge, love token, kiss, buss, salute, mark of recognition, nod, nods and becks and wreathed smiles, valediction, condolence, courteous, polite, civil, mannerly, urbane, well-behaved, well- mannered, well-bred, well-brought up, good-mannered, polished, civilized, cultivated, refined, gentlemanlike, gallant, on one's good behavior, fine spoken, fair spoken, soft-spoken, honey-mouthed, honey- tongued, oily, bland, obliging, conciliatory, complaisant, complacent, obsequious, ingratiating, winning, gentle, mild, good-humored, cordial, gracious, affable, familiar, neighborly, diplomatic, tactful, politic, artful, courteously, with a good grace, with open arms, with outstretched arms, a bras ouverts, suaviter in modo, in good humor, Int, hail!, welcome!, well met!, ave!, all hail!, good day, good morrow!, Godspeed!, pax vobiscum!, may your shadow never be less!, Tien de plus estimable que la ceremonie, the very pink of courtesy.

Benevolence

N benevolence, Christian charity, God's love, God's grace, good will, philanthropy, unselfishness, good nature, good feeling, good wishes, kindness, kindliness, loving-kindness, benignity, brotherly love, charity, humanity, fellow-feeling, sympathy, goodness of heart, warmth of heart, bonhomie, kind-heartedness, amiability, milk of human kindness, tenderness, love, friendship, toleration, consideration, generosity, mercy, charitableness, bounty, almsgiving, good works, beneficence, the luxury of doing good, acts of kindness, a good turn, good offices, kind offices good treatment, kind treatment, good Samaritan, sympathizer, bon enfant, altruist, benevolent, kind, kindly, well-meaning, amiable, obliging, accommodating, indulgent, gracious, complacent, good-humored, warm-hearted, kind-hearted, tender-hearted, large-hearted, broad- hearted, merciful, charitable, beneficent, humane, benignant, bounteous, bountiful, good-natured, well-natured, spleenless, sympathizing, sympathetic, complaisant, well-meant, well-intentioned, fatherly, motherly, brotherly, sisterly, paternal, maternal, fraternal, sororal, friendly, with a good intention, with the best intentions, Int, Godspeed!, much good may it do!, act a charity sometimes, a tender heart, a will inflexible, de mortuis nil nisi bonum, say only good things about the dead, don't speak ill of the dead, kind words are more than coronets, quando amigo pide no hay manana, the social smile, the sympathetic tear.