different between nonchalant vs lackadaisical

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?n?n.??l.?nt/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?n?n.???l?nt/

Adjective

nonchalant (comparative more nonchalant, superlative most nonchalant)

1. Casually calm and relaxed.

   We handled the whole frenetic situation with a nonchalant attitude.

2. Indifferent; unconcerned; behaving as if detached.

   He is far too nonchalant about such a serious matter.

Synonyms

• (casually calm): carefree, cool, mellow, easygoing
• (indifferent): blasé, unconcerned
• See also Thesaurus:calm

Derived terms

• nonchalantly
• nonchalantness

Related terms

• nonchalance

Translations

Danish

Etymology

From French nonchalant.

Adjective

nonchalant

1. nonchalant, offhand

Inflection

Adverb

nonchalant

1. nonchalantly, offhandedly

Further reading

• “nonchalant” in Den Danske Ordbog

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from French nonchalant.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?n?n.?a??l?nt/
• Hyphenation: non?cha?lant
• Rhymes: -?nt

Adjective

nonchalant (comparative nonchalanter, superlative nonchalantst)

1. careless, showing no interest or effort

Inflection

Related terms

• nonchalance

French

Etymology

Present participle of Old French nonchaloir (“to have no importance”), from non + chaloir, equivalent to Latin non (“not”) + cal?re (“to be warm”).

Adjective

nonchalant (feminine singular nonchalante, masculine plural nonchalants, feminine plural nonchalantes)

1. Marked by a lack of vivacity, vigour, liveliness; slow-moving; indolent.
2. Cool, relaxed

Usage notes

• Although French nonchalant is usually appropriate where the English one is used, its meaning is different.

Related terms

• nonchaloir
• chaloir

Descendants

• ? Danish: nonchalant
• ? Dutch: nonchalant
• ? English: nonchalant
• ? German: nonchalant

Further reading

• “nonchalant” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

German

Etymology

Borrowed from French nonchalant, from Old French nonchaloir, from Latin non (“not”) + cal?re (“to be warm”).

Pronunciation

Adjective

nonchalant (comparative nonchalanter, superlative am nonchalantesten)

1. nonchalant

Declension

Further reading

• “nonchalant” in Duden online

Norwegian Bokmål

Alternative forms

• nonsjalant

Etymology

From French nonchalant.

Adjective

nonchalant (indefinite singular nonchalant, definite singular and plural nonchalante)

1. nonchalant

References

• “nonchalant” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Alternative forms

• nonsjalant

Etymology

From French nonchalant.

Noun

nonchalant (indefinite singular nonchalant, definite singular and plural nonchalante)

1. nonchalant

References

• “nonchalant” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

English

Etymology

From the archaic expression lackadaisy +? -ic +? -al.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?læk??de?z?k?l/; IPA^(key): /læks?-/ (non-standard)

Adjective

lackadaisical (comparative more lackadaisical, superlative most lackadaisical)

1. Showing no interest, vigor, determination, or enthusiasm.

   Synonyms: languid, listless, unenthusiastic, uninterested, lethargic

2. Lazy; slothful; indolent.

Derived terms

• lackadaisically
• lackadaisicalness

Related terms

• lackaday
• lax

Translations

Further reading

• “lackadaisical”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–present.