Oxford Dictionary English

aloof

adjective
adjective
BrE BrE//əˈluːf//
; NAmE NAmE//əˈluːf//
[not usually before noun] Boredom
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  • not friendly or interested in other people synonym distant, remote He was a cold man, aloof and distant. She stayed aloof while the argument went on around her. Oxford Collocations Dictionary verbsbe, look, seem, … adverbsomewhat, a little, slightly, … prepositionfrom See full entry See related entries: Boredom
    •  Word Originmid 16th cent.: from a- (expressing direction) + luff ‘the edge of a type of sail next to the mast or stay’. The term was originally an adverb in nautical use, meaning ‘away and to windward!’, i.e. with the ship's head kept close to the wind away from a lee shore etc. towards which it might drift. From this arose the sense ‘at a distance’.Extra examples He has remained somewhat aloof from the business of politics. Some people find her aloof and unfriendly. Some thought that Britain was standing aloof from Europe. There were many things that had kept her aloof and apart from the crowd. Angela remained aloof. Dora stood aloof and silent. She had always kept herself aloof from her colleagues.Idioms
    keep/hold (yourself) aloof, remain/stand aloof
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    to not become involved in something; to show no interest in people The Emperor kept himself aloof from the people. See related entries: Boredom
    See aloof in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
    Check pronunciation: aloof
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