Standard Lemma guide

nonchalant

adj · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈnɒn.ʃəl.ənt/
  • US: /ˌnɑn.ʃəˈlɑnt/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: N AA2 N SH AH0 L AA1 N T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Casually calm and relaxed.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • We handled the whole frenetic situation with a nonchalant attitude.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Indifferent; unconcerned; behaving as if detached.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • He is far too nonchalant about such a serious matter.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

marked by blithe unconcern

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • an ability to interest casual students
  • showed a casual disregard for cold weather
  • an utterly insouciant financial policy
  • an elegantly insouciant manner
  • drove his car with nonchalant abandon
  • was polite in a teasing nonchalant manner

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: casual, insouciant

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Borrowed from French nonchalant, from Old French nonchaloir (“to be unconcerned”), from non- (“not”) + chaloir (“to have concern for”), from Latin non (“not”) + calēre (“to be warm”).

Across languages

Translations

68 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: անհոգ (anhog) — casually calm and relaxed
  • Bulgarian: безгрижен (bezgrižen) — casually calm and relaxed
  • Catalan: despreocupat — casually calm and relaxed
  • Czech: nonšalantní — casually calm and relaxed
  • Czech: nenucený — casually calm and relaxed
  • Danish: nonchalant — casually calm and relaxed
  • Danish: skødesløs — casually calm and relaxed
  • Danish: ligegyldig — casually calm and relaxed
  • Dutch: nonchalant — casually calm and relaxed
  • Esperanto: facilanima — casually calm and relaxed
  • Finnish: huoleton — casually calm and relaxed
  • French: décontracté — casually calm and relaxed
  • Galician: despreocupado — casually calm and relaxed
  • German: nonchalant — casually calm and relaxed
  • German: lässig — casually calm and relaxed
  • Hungarian: fesztelen — casually calm and relaxed
  • Hungarian: lezser — casually calm and relaxed
  • Irish: neamhchúiseach — casually calm and relaxed
  • Irish: neamhchorrbhuaiseach — casually calm and relaxed
  • Polish: swobodny — casually calm and relaxed
  • Polish: wyluzowany — casually calm and relaxed
  • Polish: luzacki — casually calm and relaxed
  • Portuguese: descontraído — casually calm and relaxed
  • Russian: невозмути́мый (nevozmutímyj) — casually calm and relaxed
  • Russian: беспе́чный (bespéčnyj) — casually calm and relaxed
  • Russian: небре́жный (nebréžnyj) — casually calm and relaxed
  • Scottish Gaelic: gun chùram — casually calm and relaxed
  • Spanish: casual — casually calm and relaxed
  • Spanish: relajado — casually calm and relaxed
  • Turkish: keyifli — casually calm and relaxed
  • Turkish: keyfi yerinde — casually calm and relaxed
  • Ukrainian: безтурбо́тний (bezturbótnyj) — casually calm and relaxed
  • Armenian: անտարբեր (antarber) — indifferent; unconcerned; behaving as if detached
  • Azerbaijani: vecsiz — indifferent; unconcerned; behaving as if detached
  • Bulgarian: безстрастен (bezstrasten) — indifferent; unconcerned; behaving as if detached
  • Bulgarian: равнодушен (ravnodušen) — indifferent; unconcerned; behaving as if detached
  • Catalan: indiferent — indifferent; unconcerned; behaving as if detached
  • Catalan: desmenjat — indifferent; unconcerned; behaving as if detached
  • Czech: lhostejný — indifferent; unconcerned; behaving as if detached
  • Danish: ligeglad — indifferent; unconcerned; behaving as if detached
  • Danish: indifferent — indifferent; unconcerned; behaving as if detached
  • Danish: uinteresseret — indifferent; unconcerned; behaving as if detached
  • Finnish: välinpitämätön — indifferent; unconcerned; behaving as if detached
  • Finnish: piittaamaton — indifferent; unconcerned; behaving as if detached
  • French: désinvolte — indifferent; unconcerned; behaving as if detached
  • Galician: indiferente — indifferent; unconcerned; behaving as if detached
  • German: nonchalant — indifferent; unconcerned; behaving as if detached
  • German: gleichgültig — indifferent; unconcerned; behaving as if detached
  • Hungarian: nemtörődöm — indifferent; unconcerned; behaving as if detached
  • Hungarian: közömbös — indifferent; unconcerned; behaving as if detached
  • Hungarian: nonsalant — indifferent; unconcerned; behaving as if detached
  • Irish: fuarbhruite — indifferent; unconcerned; behaving as if detached
  • Persian: بیاعتنا (bi-e'tenâ) — indifferent; unconcerned; behaving as if detached
  • Polish: nonszalancki — indifferent; unconcerned; behaving as if detached
  • Portuguese: indiferente — indifferent; unconcerned; behaving as if detached
  • Russian: равноду́шный (ravnodúšnyj) — indifferent; unconcerned; behaving as if detached
  • Russian: безразли́чный (bezrazlíčnyj) — indifferent; unconcerned; behaving as if detached
  • Russian: небре́жный (nebréžnyj) — indifferent; unconcerned; behaving as if detached
  • Scottish Gaelic: gun chùram — indifferent; unconcerned; behaving as if detached
  • Spanish: indiferente — indifferent; unconcerned; behaving as if detached
  • Spanish: como las huevas — indifferent; unconcerned; behaving as if detached
  • Spanish: como si las huevas — indifferent; unconcerned; behaving as if detached
  • Swedish: nonchalant — indifferent; unconcerned; behaving as if detached
  • Turkish: pişkin insan — indifferent; unconcerned; behaving as if detached
  • Turkish: ilgisiz — indifferent; unconcerned; behaving as if detached
  • Turkish: vurdumduymaz — indifferent; unconcerned; behaving as if detached
  • Turkish: umursamaz — indifferent; unconcerned; behaving as if detached
  • Ukrainian: байду́жий (bajdúžyj) — indifferent; unconcerned; behaving as if detached