plac
Latinappease, smooth, calm
About This Root
From Latin placēre (to please, be agreeable) and plācāre (to calm, appease). Two intertwined senses: pleasing (please, pleasant, pleasure, displease) and calming (placate, placid, placebo). Complacent means 'thoroughly pleased with oneself.' The root connects satisfaction with tranquility.
Associated Words · 14
please
to make someone happy; used to make polite requests
pleasure
A feeling of happiness or enjoyment; something that brings delight
pleasant
Giving enjoyment or satisfaction; agreeable and likeable
placebo
An inert substance used in place of real medicine
placid
Calm, peaceful, and undisturbed
complacent
Smugly satisfied with oneself; unconcerned about possible problems
complacency
Smug self-satisfaction, often without awareness of potential problems
placate
To calm or appease an angry person
displease
To cause dissatisfaction or annoyance
complaisant
Willing to please others; cheerfully obliging
complacence
A feeling of uncritical self-satisfaction
complaisance
A willingness to please others and comply with their wishes
pleased
Feeling happy and satisfied
pleasing
Giving pleasure or satisfaction; agreeable