Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Self-satisfied; Complacent: Having or showing an excessive feeling of satisfaction with oneself, one's achievements, or one's situation, often to the point of being unaware of deficiencies or potential dangers.
   • Conceited; Smug: Pleased with oneself in an uncritical way, leading to a lack of desire for improvement.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Thắng lợi nhỏ không nên khiến chúng ta tự mãn. (A small victory should not make us complacent.)
  • Anh ấy có thái độ rất tự mãn sau khi được thăng chức. (He has a very smug attitude after being promoted.)
  • Sự tự mãn là kẻ thù của tiến bộ. (Complacency is the enemy of progress.)

Advanced Usage

• The term often carries a strong negative connotation, warning against the dangers of stagnation that come from being overly pleased with the current state.
• It is frequently used in educational, professional, or moral contexts to criticize a lack of ambition or humility.

Variants and Related Words

• Tự mãn tự túc (Adj): A more emphatic phrase meaning self-satisfied and self-content, implying a closed-off attitude to external ideas or help.

Synonyms

• Complacent: Showing uncritical satisfaction with oneself.
• Smug: Having or showing an excessive pride in oneself.
• Self-satisfied: Pleased with oneself, especially in an arrogant way.
• Conceited: Excessively proud of oneself.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Tự mãn với thành tích: To be complacent about one's achievements.
  • Đội bóng không được tự mãn với thành tích của mùa trước. (The football team must not be complacent about last season's achievements.)