nonchalance
6
7.6
- noun
- /ˌnɒnʃəˈlɑːns/
:
despreocupación
- He approached the difficult situation with a calm nonchalance that surprised everyone around him.
- feigning nonchalance
- pretending nonchalance
- air of nonchalance
I just realized that confidence, nonchalance, playfulness, no neediness.
- I just realized that confidence, nonchalance, playfulness, no neediness.
Examples
-
Oddly enough, in the face of miracles, a certain nonchalance seems the best attitude.
Academic text (1995) -
He's tall and slender, good-natured, smart; his manner is a perfect blend of courtliness and nonchalance.
Fiction book (1996) -
How he held his pose of nonchalance a bit too long, with a bit too much effort.
Fiction book (1992) -
People from the past came into the present; nonchalance was the new attitude, and the relationship crumbled.
Blog text (18) -
We do all of this with deft nonchalance, with more or less conscious awareness.
Academic text (1998) -
"Why, yes," said Harold Pickering, with a nonchalance that it cost him a strong effort to assume.
Fiction book (1998) -
And they waved with similar nonchalance as if this was yet another thing they could do one-handed.
Fiction book (1998) -
With practiced nonchalance, they wandered back to their posts at the building's four corners.
Fiction book (1992) -
"My friends, we are doomed." He uttered the words with icy nonchalance as soon as he entered the room.
Fiction book (1998) -
The little hand waved to Max, who now leaned against the rail with seeming nonchalance.
Fiction book (1992)
Synonyms
71
4.6
Lack of interest or concern about something
3
9.9
A relaxed, calm way of acting without worry
1
6.1
A state of not feeling worried or interested about something
1
7.9
Staying calm and composed in difficult or stressful situations
A calm, steady way to behave when things are difficult
A calm, relaxed way of behaving that does not get worried easily
A calm, comfortable state with little worry or stress
A relaxed, cheerful way of behaving that shows little worry
Antonyms
How Unconcerned
Surface Forms
Morphology
nonchalance = nonchalant (semi-transparent) = non + chalant + ance
The noun is regularly formed from the adjective 'nonchalant' with the suffix '-ance', but the element 'chalant' is not a productive standalone English root, so full compositional analysis may not be obvious to learners.
Etymology
The word nonchalance comes from French parts non- ('not') and chaloir ('to care' or 'be concerned'). So it originally meant 'not caring', which is why nonchalance describes a calm, relaxed attitude that shows little worry.