Word
aloof
US/əˈɫuf/
UK/ɐlˈuːf/
Definitions
01emotionally distant
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. not friendly or willing to take part in things; staying at a distance from others.
adj. physically or emotionally remote; displaying a lack of involvement or interest in others, often perceived as arrogance or shyness.
“He stood alone at the party, looking aloof and uninterested in the conversation.”
“The CEO remained aloof from the daily office politics, preferring to maintain a professional distance that some employees interpreted as coldness.”
Usage
Usually follows the verb 'remain', 'stay', or 'keep'.
02at a distance
C2 · Proficiency Formal
adv. at a distance from someone or something else.
adv. at or from a distance, but within view; apart or away from a group or activity.
“The cat sat aloof on the fence, watching the dogs play in the yard.”
“During the heated debate, the moderator kept aloof from the personal attacks, focusing strictly on the procedural rules of the forum.”
Usage
Often used with the verb 'keep' in the phrase 'keep aloof'.
Real-World Examples
“The woman who once seemed almost comically aloof has become increasingly willing to show the person behind the brand.” “Her own equally gorgeous and strangely aloof husband is away on a cargo ship in the Pacific.” Etymology
From Middle English loof (“weather gage, windward direction”), probably from Middle Dutch (Compare 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".
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/aloof