sang-froid

[ French sahn-frwa ]
See synonyms for sang-froid on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. coolness of mind; calmness; composure: They committed the robbery with complete sang-froid.

Origin of sang-froid

1
1740–50; <French: literally, cold blood

Other words for sang-froid

Words Nearby sang-froid

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use sang-froid in a sentence

  • Spaniards have always been miscast as hotheads; they are, in fact, the masters of sang-froid.

    Spain's Win: Cosmic Justice | Tunku Varadarajan | July 11, 2010 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • He intrenched himself behind his natural and acquired sang-froid, and the fair assailant could not force those lines.

    Sword and Gown | George A. Lawrence
  • The ladies walked up, and deposited their ballots with as much sang froid as if they were accustomed to the privilege.

  • I have gone into this dry subject to show the character of the man, and his imperturbable sang-froid.

  • His usual coolness and sang froid are gone—Sir Lionel is actually excited.

    Miss Caprice | St. George Rathborne
  • “Thank you, sir,” said Walter, with a smile of impudent sang froid; and the form tittered again as he walked noisily to his seat.

    St. Winifred's | Frederic W. Farrar

British Dictionary definitions for sang-froid

sang-froid

/ (French sɑ̃frwa) /


noun
  1. composure; self-possession; calmness

Origin of sang-froid

1
C18: from French, literally: cold blood

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for sangfroid

sangfroid

[ (sahn-frwah, sahn-fwah) ]


Composure in the face of difficulty or danger: “We would all be dead today if our bus driver hadn't kept his sangfroid when the bus began to skid on the ice.” From French, meaning “cold blood.”

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.