Word of the Day, September 25: ‘Nonchalant’

Word of the Day: NONCHALANT

Pronunciation: UK /ˈnɒnʃələnt/

US /ˌnɑːnʃəˈlɑːnt/

Meaning

Nonchalant describes someone who appears calm, relaxed and unconcerned, especially in a situation where most people might be nervous, excited or worried. It can also suggest a casual lack of interest or concern.

Examples for daily usage

• She gave a nonchalant shrug when asked about the mistake.
• He walked into the interview looking completely nonchalant.
• She tried to sound nonchalant, even though she was clearly nervous.

Origin and history

Nonchalant comes from French nonchalant, which was used to describe someone who was careless or indifferent. The French word comes from the older verb ‘nonchaloir’, meaning “to be indifferent to” or “to have no concern for”.

The word is made up of ‘non’-, meaning “not”, and ‘chaloir’, meaning “to have concern for”. Its deeper history leads to the Latin ‘calēre’, meaning “to be warm” or “to be hot”. The English word was recorded in the 18th century.

Also Read: Word of the Day, September 24: ‘Paradise’

Cultural significance and modern usage

Being nonchalant is often associated with a particular kind of coolness. Someone can appear completely relaxed while everyone around them is reacting strongly to what is happening.

It often appears in descriptions of characters who are deliberately trying to appear unfazed.

In everyday English, it is commonly used with words such as attitude, air, manner, shrug and smile.

Interesting facts

The noun form is nonchalance, meaning a calm or indifferent manner.

The adverb is nonchalantly.

Despite beginning with non-, there is no standard English word chalant that means the opposite.

Nonchalant has recently found a new audience on TikTok, where it is often used to describe someone who stays deliberately calm, unbothered or emotionally detached.

Examples from literature

• “no other man in the whole southward-bound Canadian train could have been at once so ingenuous and so nonchalant.” — The Indiscreet Letter, Eleanor Hallowell Abbott
• “Jasper's nonchalant attitude” — The Patagonia, Henry James
• “He seemed very nonchalant about the whole affair.” — Peter's Pence, W.W. Jacobs

Synonyms

• Unconcerned
• Casual
• Relaxed
• Unruffled
• Indifferent
• Carefree

Antonyms

• Concerned
• Anxious
• Worried
• Agitated
• Nervous
• Perturbed

Read more Word of the Day here.