nonchalant
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- nonchalance noun
- nonchalantly adverb
Etymology
Origin of nonchalant
First recorded in 1725–35; from French nonchalant, present participle of obsolete nonchaloir “to lack warmth (of heart), be indifferent,” equivalent to non- prefix meaning “not” + chaloir, from Latin calēre “to be warm”; non-, -ant
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.
Heading into the results, investors were a bit more nonchalant about threats to the economy.
From MarketWatch
I’m startled by her question and even more startled by her nonchalant attitude.
From Literature
The venture has drawn some backlash, including a “Saturday Night Live” skit that spoofed Honnold’s nonchalant attitude, which has earned him the nickname “No Big Deal” and prompted scientists to study his brain.
From Los Angeles Times
The dandy may have many names, but we know him when we see him—he projects the aristocrat’s “superior air and nonchalant ennui,” Mr. Andersson writes, only a little too much.
Dimon, often more willing than most to focus on the dour side, said he was concerned about how investors appeared nonchalant about risks in credit, although he acknowledged consumer defaults looked normal so far.
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.
