aloof
Americanadverb
adjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of aloof
Explanation
Someone who's aloof isn't warm and friendly, instead being distant and reserved. That emotionally cold and detached fellow who keeps to himself, drinking espresso and reading French philosophy, would best be described as aloof. In Middle English, aloof was originally a nautical term; the loof (now spelled luff) is the windward side of a ship. Smart sailors wanting to avoid a hazard on the leeward side would give the order, "A loof!" From this command we get the idea of steering clear of something (or someone). In modern usage the word has taken on a negative connotation: an aloof person is often considered cold or snobby.
Vocabulary lists containing aloof
100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
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Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 2
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Animal Farm
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The woman who once seemed almost comically aloof has become increasingly willing to show the person behind the brand.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
But South Korea's heatwave has made it uninhabitable, forcing him to seek refuge under a makeshift tarp just a stone’s throw from Gangnam’s gleaming skyscrapers, where the wealthy remain cool in their aloof abodes.
From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026
He died in 1806, remembered for possessing an acute mind, an aloof personality and a tendency to be terminally irritating to his colleagues and the king.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
Simba Safari’s three adult females, originally from another zoo, were more aloof, though one came close for a while.
From Slate ● May 27, 2026
Adding insult to injury, the arrogant aloof sheepherder never carried a little chunk of osha in his pants pocket to ward off poisonous snakes.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
