aloofness

aloofness — 名詞

1. the way of acting that keeps a person emotionally separated from others, making

1.名詞C1
釋義

冷淡；疏離

態度冷漠、不易親近的樣子

the way of acting that keeps a person emotionally separated from others, making them seem unfriendly, cold, or hard to get close to.

例句

Tariq's aloofness at the office party made her new colleagues feel unwelcome.

瑪雅在公司派對上的冷淡讓新同事覺得不受歡迎。

possessive + aloofness as subject

Everyone in the village admired Dr. Bram, but his aloofness kept friendships shallow.

村裡每個人都敬佩田中醫師，但他的疏離讓友誼難以深入。

aloofness as cause of social effect

同義詞
  • standoffishness

    more informal; suggests deliberate cold-shoulder behaviour

  • reserve

    neutral or positive; quiet self-control rather than coldness

  • remoteness

    stronger image of unreachable emotional distance

  • coldness

    harsher; implies actively unkind feeling, not just distance

反義詞

文法句型

someone's aloofness

aloofness toward someone

用法筆記

Subject is usually a person (or their behaviour), and the noun is uncountable. Often paired with possessives ('her aloofness', 'his aloofness') and the preposition 'toward'. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is about social warmth, not principled non-involvement.

常見錯誤

❌She has many aloofnesses.
✅She has a certain aloofness.
💡the noun is uncountable; do not pluralise.
❌His aloofness with the topic confused us.
✅His aloofness toward strangers confused us.
💡use 'toward' (or 'from') with people, not 'with' + a topic.

2. the choice to stay apart from an activity, group, or issue, often because you di

2.名詞C1
釋義

置身事外

刻意不參與某活動或議題

the choice to stay apart from an activity, group, or issue, often because you disagree with it or do not want to be linked to it.

例句

The judge's aloofness from local politics protects her reputation for fairness.

這位法官對地方政治置身事外，因此維持了她公正的名聲。

aloofness from + abstract domain

Switzerland's traditional aloofness from foreign wars shaped its modern identity.

瑞士向來對外國戰事置身事外，這形塑了它的現代形象。

country's aloofness from + conflict

同義詞
  • detachment

    neutral; implies calm distance, not necessarily disapproval

  • non-involvement

    plain factual term; lacks the cool tone of 'aloofness'

  • neutrality

    specifically political; refusing to take sides

  • disengagement

    process of pulling back from something you were once part of

反義詞

文法句型

aloofness from something

用法筆記

Almost always followed by 'from' + the activity, group, or issue being avoided. Subject is often an institution, public figure, or country. Distinguish from sense 1: this aloofness is principled or strategic, not emotional coldness.

常見錯誤

❌His aloofness about the scandal annoyed reporters.
✅His aloofness from the scandal annoyed reporters.
💡use 'from' with the topic or event, not 'about'.
❌She showed aloofness to vote.
✅She refused to vote, showing her aloofness from party politics.
💡aloofness is a stance, not an action; pair it with a noun phrase, not a to-infinitive.