Meaning & use
insouciance
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Meanings
noununcountableformalliterary
A relaxed, carefree attitude in which someone shows no worry about things others might find serious.
Grammar: Uncountable and often used with an adjective: a charming insouciance.
Patterns
- with insouciance
- an air of insouciance
She shrugged off the criticism with cheerful insouciance.
He walked into the exam with an air of insouciance.
The singer's insouciance made the crowd relax.
noununcountableformaldisapproving
A careless lack of concern that others may find irresponsible or rude.
Grammar: Same uncountable use, but suggests criticism.
Patterns
- insouciance about something
- insouciance towards something
The minister's insouciance about the crisis angered voters.
His insouciance toward deadlines annoyed his colleagues.
Critics mocked the company's insouciance over safety.
Common combinations
- an air of insouciance
- He strolled in with an air of insouciance.
- youthful insouciance
- Her youthful insouciance cheered the whole office.
- breezy insouciance
- She answered with breezy insouciance.
- with insouciance
- He tossed the keys aside with insouciance.
- studied insouciance
- His studied insouciance hid his nerves.
Synonyms and how they differ
- nonchalance
- Nonchalance stresses a cool, unbothered manner, while insouciance is lighter and more carefree.
- unconcern
- Unconcern is a plain word for not worrying and lacks the stylish flavor of insouciance.
- indifference
- Indifference means not caring at all, which is colder than insouciance.
- breeziness
- Breeziness is informal and describes a light, easy manner, with less of the idea of ignoring problems.
Opposites
Word family
- insouciant adjective
- carefree and unworried
- insouciantly adverb
- in a carefree, unconcerned way
Commonly confused: insouciance or insurance?
insouciance vs insurance
Insurance is a payment protecting you from loss, and it is unrelated, though the spelling looks close.
Practice
Despite the approaching storm, the sailors went about their work with cheerful ____.
Choose one answer.
Insouciance is carefree lack of concern, which matches working cheerfully in a storm. Insistence means firm demand, insurance means financial protection, and instability means lack of steadiness.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “insouciance”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.