Meaning & use

nonchalant

adjective·Advanced

Appearing calm, relaxed, and unconcerned, especially in a situation where worry would be expected.

See it in a sentence

He stayed nonchalant during the interview even though his hands were shaking.

She gave a nonchalant shrug when told her flight had been cancelled.

A note on using this word

Nonchalant often suggests a deliberate, sometimes affected, display of calm rather than genuine ease.

Words with a similar meaning

casualindifferentunruffled

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

Words with an opposite meaning

anxiousflustered

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