aloof

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Related to aloof: wangle, Fault-finding

a·loof

(ə-lo͞of′)

adj.

1. Emotionally reserved or indifferent: an aloof manner.

2. Distant or uninvolved: remained aloof from political movements.

[a- + luff, windward part of a ship (obsolete).]

a·loof′ly adv.

a·loof′ness n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

aloof

(əˈluːf)

adj

distant, unsympathetic, or supercilious in manner, attitude, or feeling

[C16: from a-¹ + loof, a variant of luff]

aˈloofly adv

aˈloofness n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

a•loof

(əˈluf)

adj.

1. reserved or reticent; indifferent: to have the reputation of being aloof.

adv.

2. at a distance, esp. in feeling or interest; apart: to stand aloof from one's classmates.

[1525–35; a-¹ + loof luff windward]

a•loof′ly, adv.

a•loof′ness, n.

aloof

- Comes from sailing, in which ships keep clear of coastal rocks by holding the vessel "luff"—"to the windward"; so, to hold "a-luff" means to "keep clear."

aloof

adjective distant, cold, reserved, cool, formal, remote, forbidding, detached, indifferent, chilly, unfriendly, unsympathetic, uninterested, haughty, unresponsive, supercilious, unapproachable, unsociable, standoffish He seemed aloof and detached.
open, warm, friendly, neighbourly, sympathetic, sociable, gregarious

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

aloof

adjective

1. Not friendly, sociable, or warm in manner:

chill, chilly, cool, distant, offish, remote, reserved, reticent, solitary, standoffish, unapproachable, uncommunicative, undemonstrative, withdrawn.

2. Lacking interest in one's surroundings or worldly affairs:

detached, disinterested, incurious, indifferent, unconcerned, uninterested, uninvolved.

Translations

بَعِيداً عَن

dálodměřenýrezervovanýstranou

fjernfjerntfor sig selvkølig

fern zurückhaltend

esquivo

etäinenvarautunut

distant à l'écart dédaigneusement dédaigneux

afsíîis, halda sig utan viîfálegur, kuldalegur

distante freddamente in disparte

laikymasis nuošaliainelinkęs bendrautinuošaliai

atturīgsnomaļussavrup

afstandelijk apart gereserveerd negatief

for seg selv kjølig reservert unna

rezervovaný

mesafelisoğuk uzak

冷漠的疏远的离开

aloof

[əˈluːf] ADJ

1. (= standoffish) [person, manner] → distante
he was very aloof with me → conmigo se mostró muy distante
she has always been somewhat aloof → ella siempre ha guardado las distancias

2. (= uninvolved) to hold o.s. or remain or stand aloof from sb → guardar or mantener las distancias con algn, mantenerse apartado de algn
to hold o.s. or remain or stand aloof from sth → mantenerse al margen de algo

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

aloof

[əˈluːf] adj → distant(e)
to remain aloof → rester à l'écart
to stand aloof → se tenir à l'écart
to remain aloof from sth → rester à l'écart de qch

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

aloof

adv (lit, fig) → abseits; to remain aloof → sich abseits halten; to keep or stand aloof (from something) → sich (von etw) distanzieren; buyers held aloof (Comm) → die Käufer verhielten sich zurückhaltend

adj → unnahbar

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

aloof

[əˈluːf]

1. adj → riservato/a, distaccato/a

2. adv → a distanza, in disparte
to stand aloof (from) → tenersi a distanza (da) or in disparte (da)

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

aloof

(əˈluːf) adverb

apart or at a distance from other people. I kept aloof from the whole business.

adjective

not sociable and friendly. People find the new teacher rather aloof.

aˈloofness noun

aloof

a. apartado-a, aislado-a, lejos de todo o de todos.

Mentioned in ?

References in classic literature ?

Now the earthenware pot tried its best to keep aloof from the brass one, which cried out: "Fear nothing, friend, I will not strike you."

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Nevertheless I will go, that I may see my dear son and learn what sorrow has befallen him though he is still holding aloof from battle."

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He must have acquired experiences which would form abundant material for a picaresque novel of modern Paris, but he remained aloof, and judging from his conversation there was nothing in those years that had made a particular impression on him.

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The full moon was about three hours above the eastern horizon; the entire countryside had the solemn stillness of a summer night; our footfalls and the ceaseless song of the katydids were the only sound aloof. Black shadows of bordering trees lay athwart the road, which, in the short reaches between, gleamed a ghostly white.

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And how aloof and remote from him she had become now!

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Of all the strange, uprooted people among the first settlers, those two men were the strangest and the most aloof. Their last names were unpronounceable, so they were called Pavel and Peter.

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When he keeps aloof and tries to provoke a battle, he is anxious for the other side to advance.

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After the eager rivalry and almost hostility displayed by these companies in their late campaigns, it might be expected that, when thus brought in juxtaposition, they would hold themselves warily and sternly aloof from each other, and, should they happen to come in contact, brawl and bloodshed would ensue.

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She had held so aloof of late that her trouble, never generally known, was nearly forgotten in Marlott.

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Nicholas felt himself irredeemably indebted to Sonya for all she was doing for his mother and greatly admired her patience and devotion, but tried to keep aloof from her.

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It is true that I have never cared greatly for 'On the Heights,' which in its dealing with royalties seems too far aloof from the ordinary human life, and which on the moral side finally fades out into a German mistiness.

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His whole life he had kept aloof from his kind, and he still desired to keep aloof.

Adj.	1.	aloof - remote in manner; "stood apart with aloof dignity"; "a distant smile"; "he was upstage with strangers" upstage, distant reserved - marked by self-restraint and reticence; "was habitually reserved in speech, withholding her opinion"-Victoria Sackville-West
Adv.	1.	aloof - in an aloof manner; "the local gentry and professional classes had held aloof for the school had accepted their sons readily enough"