Meaning & use

aloofness

noun·Advanced

The quality of being distant, reserved, or uninvolved with others emotionally or socially.

See it in a sentence

His aloofness at parties often made new acquaintances think he was unfriendly.

Beneath her aloofness, colleagues eventually discovered a dry, generous sense of humor.

A note on using this word

Often mistaken for arrogance or unfriendliness, though it may simply reflect shyness or a private personality.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

warmthfriendliness

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