aloof
Distant and not friendly, keeping away from other people.
aloof in a sentence
- The new cat stayed aloof for weeks, watching us from the top of the wardrobe.
- The new boy seemed aloof at first, standing apart from all the games at break time.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to aloof?
- Adistant
- Bfriendly
- Cwarm
- Dopen
Show the answer
A: distant. The other three mean the opposite of aloof.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to aloof?
- Afriendly
- Breserved
- Cdistant
- Dcold
Show the answer
A: friendly. The other three mean nearly the same as aloof.
Words that mean something similar
distant, cold, reserved
Words that mean the opposite
friendly, warm, open
More words about character & personality
- altruistic: Caring about other people's needs more than your own.
- amiable: Friendly and pleasant to be around.
- anonymous: Done by someone whose name is not known.
- arrogant: Behaving as if you are better and more important than everyone else.
- artful: Clever in a sly way, and good at getting what you want.
- audacious: Brave in a bold, slightly cheeky way, and daring to do something risky.
- avid: Very keen and eager about something you enjoy.
- avowed: Openly admitted or declared.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test