Meaning & use
aplomb
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Meaning
noununcountable
A calm, confident manner that lets someone handle a tricky or awkward moment without looking flustered.
Grammar: No plural and no article before it: she handled it with aplomb, not with an aplomb.
Patterns
- with aplomb
- do something with aplomb
The young pianist recovered from a missed note with remarkable aplomb.
He fielded the hostile questions with aplomb.
Even when the microphone failed, she carried on with aplomb.
Common combinations
- with aplomb
- The waiter dealt with the spilled soup with aplomb.
- handle something with aplomb
- She handled the interview with aplomb.
- remarkable aplomb
- He showed remarkable aplomb during the crisis.
- cool aplomb
- The captain steered through the storm with cool aplomb.
- lose one's aplomb
- For a moment the host lost her aplomb.
Synonyms and how they differ
- composure
- Composure means staying calm inside, while aplomb adds a sense of confident, skilful display.
- poise
- Poise is very close but can also describe graceful bearing even when nothing difficult is happening.
- self-assurance
- Self-assurance is a lasting trait of confidence, whereas aplomb is usually shown in a specific moment.
- sangfroid
- Sangfroid is more literary and stresses coolness in danger.
Opposites
Commonly confused: aplomb or applause?
aplomb vs applause
Applause is the clapping of an audience; aplomb is calm confidence. They look somewhat alike but are unrelated.
Practice
Despite the sudden power cut, the speaker finished her talk ___.
Choose one answer.
Aplomb is used in the fixed phrase with aplomb. The other prepositions do not form a natural collocation.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “aplomb”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.