froideur
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of froideur
First recorded in 1820–25; French: literally, “coldness”; equivalent to froid “cold” + -eur -eur ( def. )
Explanation
Froideur is a state of being cool or aloof to other people. Your classmate may be smart and attractive, but their froideur makes it very hard to get to know them well. Some people are warm and welcoming, while others have an aura of froideur, a chilly, distant, or haughty attitude that is quite the opposite. Examples of froideur include showing no emotion after a classmate's touching speech or greeting someone at your door with a cold gaze and an expressionless, "Yes?" In French, froideur means "coldness."
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.
Walker also appeared to arouse the froideur of French Gates, who was the foundation’s co-chair.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
That sounds a lot like the way Carson lived, based on the way a 1978 New Yorker profile summed up the venerated host’s jovial froideur.
From Salon • Jul. 31, 2025
Melania’s public froideur toward her husband is the stuff of viral memes and late-night TV spoofs.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 23, 2024
Dismantling royal froideur one hug and facemash at a time.
From New York Times • Dec. 9, 2022
"C'est la froideur Anglaise!" remarked little Alphonse Lefanue to a fellow exile as they paused in the laying of tables to observe the phenomenon.
From The Firm of Girdlestone by Doyle, Arthur Conan, Sir
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.
