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Showing results for aloofness. Search instead for aloofnesses.
Synonyms

aloofness

American  
[uh-loof-nis] / əˈluf nɪs /

noun

  1. the quality or state of being aloof, distant, or reserved; indifference.

    His girlfriend's recent aloofness may be a sign that the relationship is over.

Etymology

Origin of aloofness

aloof + -ness

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 solution is dazzling: The two buildings seem barely to touch shoulders, and yet behind this show of aloofness their interior spaces flow freely together at every level.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

They won us over with their mild pomposity and aloofness, whereas Rapaport’s annoyance wreaks collateral damage like a chronically unbathed person’s odor assails bystanders.

From Salon • Jan. 15, 2026

Part of his aloofness comes from grieving his father’s death and his mother’s subsequent mental breakdown; the rest is his shame that his rock ‘n’ roll dreams have yet to become reality.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 29, 2025

Another parent said the school showed an "aloofness and detachment" when dealing with the harm done to his daughter.

From BBC • May 12, 2025

All his aloofness dissolves as he stares at the scar.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir

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.