complaisance
/kəm'pleizəns/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: 1. A disposition or tendency to yield to the will of others: A willingness to please others or to accept their wishes, demands, or actions without protest or resistance. It implies a polite and obliging nature.
Usage
"Complaisance" is a formal noun used to describe a person's agreeable and accommodating character. It often carries a positive connotation of being pleasant and cooperative, but it can sometimes imply excessive eagerness to please.
Examples
- The host's complaisance made all the guests feel welcome and comfortable.
- Her natural complaisance led her to agree with the plan, even though she had private reservations.
- He showed great complaisance by changing his schedule to accommodate his colleague's request.
Advanced Usage
- "With complaisance": In a willing and obliging manner.
- She accepted the criticism with quiet complaisance.
- "Out of complaisance": Motivated by a desire to be agreeable.
- He agreed to the proposal out of complaisance, not conviction.
Variants and Related Words
- Complaisant (adjective): Having or showing a desire to please; obliging.
- He was a complaisant husband who rarely contradicted his wife.
- Complaisantly (adverb): In a complaisant manner.
Synonyms
- Obligingness: Willingness to do favors or be helpful.
- Deference: Humble submission and respect.
- Amenability: Openness to suggestion or cooperation.
- Acquiescence: Acceptance without protest.
Antonyms
- Obstinacy: Stubbornness.
- Intransigence: Refusal to change one's views or agree.
- Defiance: Open resistance or bold disobedience.
Notes on Meaning
While "complaisance" is similar to compliance (the act of conforming or yielding), it emphasizes a personal disposition or temperament of being agreeable. It is also distinct from complacency (a feeling of smug satisfaction), though the words are sometimes confused.
Noun
- a disposition or tendency to yield to the will of others