aloof — not friendly or forthcoming; cool and distant
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: not friendly or forthcoming; cool and distant
Pronunciation (IPA): /əˈluːf/
Example Sentences
- The cat remained aloof while the dogs played together.
- Despite winning the lottery, he stayed aloof from reporters.
- The celebrity's aloof attitude made fans think twice about approaching.
aloof
ADJECTIVE[/əˈluːf/]
not friendly or forthcoming; cool and distant
He stayed aloof at the party, watching everyone from the balcony alone.
A(away) + LOOF(roof) — staying A(away) from the loud crowd by climbing onto the LOOF(roof), the girl remained totally aloof.
Sitting alone on the high roof, the mysterious cat remained completely aloof from the noisy dogs below.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Dutch 'af loof', a nautical term meaning 'away from the lee' or 'away from the lee side of a ship'. The phrase combined the preposition 'af' (off) and the noun 'loof' (the weather side of a ship), originally used to keep ships at a distance.
Breakdown
a- (off) + loof (lee/weather side of ship) = aloof (at a distance, detached)
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The cat remained aloof while the dogs played together.”
“Despite winning the lottery, he stayed aloof from reporters.”
“The celebrity's aloof attitude made fans think twice about approaching.”
“My teenage son acts aloof when I try to hug him in public.”
📚Related Words
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