tự mãn
Definition
- 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.)