nonchalant

/ˈnɒn.ʃəl.ənt/

Group 10Difficulty 2/3

Definition

(adjective)
Feeling or appearing casually calm and relaxed; not displaying anxiety
GRE

Example in Context

The surgeon's nonchalant manner before the operation belied the extraordinary difficulty of the procedure she was about to perform.

Synonyms

relaxedcasualunbothered

Etymology

Not warm, or displaying cool indifference.

  • non- (Latin) — not
  • calere (Latin) — to be warm

Memory Aid

😎Sounds like “nonchalant

He walked in with sunglasses and a NONCHALANT shrug, like he owned the place!

Visual Association

😌A person lounging on a beach chair, sipping a drink, completely unfazed by the chaos around them.

Semantic Clusters

Synonym Groups

Frequently Asked Questions

What does “nonchalant” mean on the GRE?

nonchalant (adjective) means “Feeling or appearing casually calm and relaxed; not displaying anxiety”. The surgeon's nonchalant manner before the operation belied the extraordinary difficulty of the procedure she was about to perform.

How to remember “nonchalant” for the GRE?

Mnemonic: “nonchalant” sounds like “nonchalant”. He walked in with sunglasses and a NONCHALANT shrug, like he owned the place!

What are synonyms for “nonchalant”?

Common synonyms: relaxed, casual, unbothered.