complaisant

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

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /kəmˈpleɪsənt/
• Homophone: complacent
• (US) IPA^(key): /kəmˈpleɪsənt/, /kəmˈpleɪzənt/

complaisant (comparative more complaisant, superlative most complaisant)

1. Compliant.
2. Willing to do what pleases others; obliging.
3. (archaic) Polite; showing respect.

• Complaisant should not be confused with its homophone, complacent.

• complaisantly

• IPA^(key): /kɔ̃.plɛ.zɑ̃/

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complaisant

1. present participle of complaire

complaisant (feminine singular complaisante, masculine plural complaisants, feminine plural complaisantes)

1. complaisant, obliging, eager to please

• “complaisant” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).