Meaning & use
being nonchalant
Last updated
Meanings
phrase
the act or state of appearing calm, relaxed, and unconcerned about things that others might find important.
Grammar: Used as a noun phrase: it can be the subject or object of a sentence, e.g. 'Being nonchalant helps him stay cool.'
Patterns
- being nonchalant about something
- being nonchalant in a situation
- being nonchalant toward someone
Her being nonchalant about the exam surprised everyone, since she had studied for weeks.
He tried being nonchalant when he met his ex, but his voice shook slightly.
Being nonchalant can sometimes be mistaken for not caring at all.
phraseapproving
the quality of showing a casual, unbothered attitude that some people find attractive or cool.
Grammar: Often used after verbs like 'like' or 'enjoy': 'I like his being nonchalant.'
Patterns
- being nonchalant about something
- being nonchalant with someone
There's something appealing about being nonchalant when things go wrong.
She has a way of being nonchalant that makes her seem very confident.
Common combinations
- being nonchalant about
- He was being nonchalant about the whole situation, as if it didn't matter.
- try to be nonchalant
- She tried to be nonchalant, but her red face gave her away.
- sound nonchalant
- On the phone, he sounded nonchalant, but I knew he was worried.
- act nonchalant
- Just act nonchalant and no one will suspect anything.
Synonyms and how they differ
- indifferent
- Indifferent means not interested or not caring at all, while nonchalant suggests a calm, casual manner that may hide real feelings.
- casual
- Casual means relaxed and informal, often about style or behavior; nonchalant is more about an attitude of not being worried or impressed.
- unconcerned
- Unconcerned means not worried, but it does not carry the same sense of deliberate coolness that nonchalant often does.
Opposites
Word family
- nonchalant adjective
- Calm and relaxed; not showing worry or interest.
- nonchalantly adverb
- In a calm, relaxed, and unconcerned way.
- nonchalance noun
- The quality of being calm and unconcerned.
Commonly confused: being nonchalant or nonchalant vs. nonchalantly?
being nonchalant vs nonchalant vs. nonchalantly
Nonchalant is an adjective (e.g., 'He is nonchalant'), while nonchalantly is an adverb (e.g., 'He shrugged nonchalantly').
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose one answer.
The correct preposition after 'nonchalant' is 'about' when talking about a topic or situation. 'Of', 'for', and 'with' do not fit this pattern.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “being nonchalant”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.