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- At a distance, but within view; intentionally remaining apart, literally or figuratively; withdrawn.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
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. Same as alewife.
- adv. At or from a distance, but within view, or at a small distance; apart; away.
- adv. Without sympathy; unfavorably.
- prep. Away from; clear from.
WordNet 3.0
- adv. in an aloof manner
- adj. remote in manner
Etymologies
- a-2 + luff, windward part of a ship (obsolete).
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 4084 more...
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Words build meanings from origins( etymology )
These come from gamma meditation ,I think.
discursive, exogenous, machinations, purportedly, sumptuous, congruity, cantankerous, incongruous, festoon, hessian, ratiocinative, stratigraphic and 837 more...
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Words sung by: Belle and Sebastian
beguiling, herbaceous, peninsula, suffragette, damascan, hastening, berserk, overtime, leccy, bestow, swathe, arab strap and 193 more...
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Sound Sex
taciturn, deflower, recursive, parapraxis, comitative, atelic, awkward, eccentric, libidinous, astereognosis, aloof, moonglade and 44 more...
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Kingly epithets
Take one of CharlesFerdinand's excellent Merovingians or Goths, add a "the" and one of these descriptors, and presto, a character for your long-planned spoof fantasy novel.
unlikely, chuckleheaded, aloof, lacklustre, slow, murky, neurotic, clichéd, pediculous, dour, bungling, dandy and 23 more...
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2
kerniving, scandinavia, confectionary, mangrove, bejewelled, flesh, crystalline, gazelle, pantaloons, bluebird, caribou, albatross and 88 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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Words Stephenie Meyer Overuses
A collection of words author Stephenie Meyer overuses and abuses in her 'Twilight' series of young adult vampire fiction. Every time you read one of these words in her books, you will GRIMACE and C...
chagrin, grimace, chuckle, smirk, whispered, lope, scintillating, marble, topaz, smoldering, smolder, perfect and 30 more...
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Adjectives
Words that describe.
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