Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- adj. Distant physically or emotionally; reserved and remote: stood apart with aloof dignity.
- adv. At a distance but within view; apart.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- At a distance, but within view; intentionally remaining apart, literally or figuratively; withdrawn.
- At or to a distance from; away or apart from.
Wiktionary
- adv. At or from a distance, but within view, or at a small distance; apart; away.
- adv. Without sympathy; unfavorably.
- adj. Reserved and remote; either physically or emotionally distant
- prep. obsolete away from; clear of
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. (Zoöl.) Same as alewife.
- adv. At or from a distance, but within view, or at a small distance; apart; away.
- adv. Without sympathy; unfavorably.
- prep. obsolete Away from; clear from.
WordNet 3.0
- adv. in an aloof manner
- adj. remote in manner
Etymologies
- From a- + Middle English loof (="weather gage," also "windward direction"), probably from Dutch loef (="the weather side of a ship"); originally a nautical order to keep the ship's head to the wind, thus to stay clear of a lee-shore or some other quarter, hence the figurative sense of "at a distance, apart" (Wiktionary)
- a-2 + luff, windward part of a ship (obsolete). (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“Why did Dunn remain aloof from the expatriate society in Macao for so many years when other traders partook of it regularly?”
The Romance of China: Excursions to China in U.S. Culture: 1776-1876
“In short, to grow our intellectual capital and to ensure its steady flow to the business community, we can no longer afford to remain aloof from the economic and business environment.”
“We cannot afford to remain aloof from the constitutional debate.”
“Law firms, by contrast, often hold themselves aloof from the stark realities their clients face.”
“That is why it is natural that cases like that of the Pilkingtons will be ideal springboards to attack modern day reactive policing which is detached and seemingly aloof from the public they should be serving.”
“I do not believe helping people and treating them nice will spoil them, I certainly don't think that coming to Mexico and staying aloof from the locals so they don't get spoiled is being apart of their community.”
“In the US, scientists have been aloof from the political process.”
“I do not believe that scientists were aloof from the political process and find it odd that scientists should be considered policymakers.”
“He routinely remains aloof from the legislative details (some would say he just got rolled by Nancy Pelosi) and then proceeds to speak as if the actual bill matches his grand words and promises when it is obvious to all that it does not.”
“It is the mark of a creative personality to remain a bit aloof from the world, observing it, taking it apart, rearranging it.”
Writer Unboxed » Blog Archive » Reclaiming the joy of writing
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘aloof’.
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GRE Barrons Wordlist
A complete Barron's Wordlist for GRE preparation. Your online flashcard replacement.
abase, abash, abate, abbreviate, abdicate, aberrant, aberration, abet, abeyance, abhor, abject, abjure and 4087 more...
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hunting
crudely, unequivocal, obsolete, obscure, overtly, misdeed, shack, inherent, outcry, hefty, composed, poised and 318 more...
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Verbal_Advantage
paraphrase, ostensible, digress, uncanny, candor, morose, adept, saturated, pragmatic, congenial, capricious, blatant and 38 more...
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GRE 2014
abase, abate, abdicate, aberrant, abeyance, abhor, abjure, abortive, abound, abrasive, abreast, abridge and 1577 more...
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From reading
Collected from reading
venerate, reprobate, reticent, adoration, ethereal, ephemeral, equivocal, contumacious, heinous, solicitous, agnostic, aberration and 335 more...
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Genes
Interesting gene names. Some of these may have changed recently (to something less offensive/funny).
http://www.genenames.org/
tinman, agnostic, dreadlocks, Van Gogh, fruitless, lava lamp, ariadne, cheap date, ken and barbie, I'm not dead yet, I'm not dead yet 2, manic fringe and 1192 more... -
Words build meanings from origins( et...
These come from gamma meditation ,I think.
discursive, exogenous, machinations, purportedly, sumptuous, congruity, cantankerous, incongruous, festoon, hessian, ratiocinative, stratigraphic and 2046 more...
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November Words-10033
sordid, protuberant, constabulary, confide, unsubstantiated, bureacrats, mammaries, tentative, enticingly, aberration, electro-acuscope, perithanatic and 18 more...
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man gre
abase, abeyance, abreast, abscission, abscond, abyss, accede, accretion, acerbic, acidulous, acumen, adulterate and 483 more...
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words I should know
naučit se!
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big book gre
abase, abbess, abbey, abbot, abdicate, abdomen, abdominal, abduction, abed, aberration, abet, abeyance and 6691 more...
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gre2
aberrant, aberration, aboveboard, abrasive, abstemious, acme, admonish, affable, affluent, alacrity, allegory, alleviate and 1861 more...
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♥
ambrosia, inamorata, gossamer, lily-white, hummingbird, roucoulement, poppy, daisy, calypso, lunula, lamb, dove and 1526 more...
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Words from books I've read
These are some words I didn't know when I read and now I want to know!
mortgage, fiddling, rage, kick, stroke, dodge, hunch, scratch, covetous, rank, trickle, budget and 179 more...
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5000 FREE SAT Words
abase, abbess, abbey, abbot, abdicate, abdomen, abdominal, abduction, abed, aberration, abet, abeyance and 229 more...
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apjoseph's words
insurmountable, ubiquitous, unequivocal, incumbent, asinine, amenable, sycophants, precarious, malevolent, gregarious, raison detra, nefarious and 200 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for aloof.
kmassie From the book The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.pg.116
"Are you going to be charming? aloof? fierce?" Nov 29, 2010
alejinha People that feel superior than the others Sep 19, 2010
Prolagus
(For the price of a cup of tea, by Belle and Sebastian) Nov 20, 2009
mager Sometimes you need to be aloof. Even if it's the last thing you want to do. Sep 2, 2008