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Difficulty: MediumWords Commonly Confused and Homonyms

Complete the sentence below by supplying the contextually and grammatically correct words in the blanks.

Answer:The diplomat was known to be remarkably 【complaisant】 during treaty negotiations, always striving to accommodate the host nation's wishes, yet the embassy staff became dangerously 【complacent】 about routine security checks after decades of peaceful relations.

Answer

The sentence is completed correctly by inserting 'complaisant' in the first blank and 'complacent' in the second blank.
The adjective 'complaisant' means willing to please or obliging, which perfectly fits a negotiator who strives to accommodate host nations. The adjective 'complacent' means marked by self-satisfaction or uncritical security, fitting staff who become careless about routine procedures after prolonged peace.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the context of the first blank.
The clause describes a diplomat who actively tries to accommodate others and maintain harmony, which calls for the word 'complaisant' (meaning willing to please, obliging, or agreeable).
The context clues 'striving to accommodate' require an adjective denoting willingness to please or yield.
2
Analyze the context of the second blank.
The clause describes embassy personnel who have become overly relaxed and unconcerned about security risks due to long-term peace, which calls for the word 'complacent' (meaning self-satisfied or uncritically confident).
The context clues 'dangerously ... about routine security checks' indicate a reckless lack of vigilance arising from self-satisfaction.

Key Concept

Distinction between orthographically and phonetically similar homophones/paronyms: 'complaisant' (obliging, eager to please) versus 'complacent' (smug, self-satisfied, unvigilant).
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Words Commonly Confused and Homonyms

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