aloofa‧loof /əˈluːf/ adjective, adverb 
They worked hard, but tended to stay aloof from the local inhabitants.keep/hold yourself aloof (from somebody) She had always kept herself aloof from the boys in class. Beneath that aloof exterior, Gayle is a warm, sympathetic person.► see thesaurus at unfriendly2deliberately not becoming involved in somethingremain/stand aloof (from something) Initially, the President remained aloof from the campaign.hold/keep (yourself) aloof from something The doctor held himself somewhat aloof from the rest of the ship’s crew.—aloofness noun [uncountable]
WORD ORIGINaloof
Origin:
1500-1600 aloof ‘to windward’ (16-18 centuries), from loof ‘direction against the wind’ (13-19 centuries), from Dutch loefEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Barbara remained aloof behind the barrier of her menu.
- She was polite but aloof.
- The organization is controlled by aloof intellectuals who do not take an interest in the ordinary members.
THESAURUSperson/voice/behaviour
behaving towards someone in a way that shows you are not interested in them or are not ready to talk to them or help them: · The hotel staff were unfriendly and unhelpful.· an unfriendly tone of voice· They didn't seem very friendly to strangers.· She gave him an unfriendly glance.
very unfriendly, and ready to argue or fight: · He was openly hostile towards me when I arrived.· A hostile crowd gathered outside the US embassy.
behaving towards other people as if you do not like them or care about them: · He gave her a cold stare.· a cold voice
unfriendly, especially because you are angry with someone: · When she spoke, her tone was frosty.· He got a frosty reception from his wife when he finally returned home (=she was not very friendly towards him).
[not before noun] not wanting to talk to other people or spend time with them, especially because you think you are better than them: · Some politicians are criticized for being too aloof.
unfriendly and always trying to start arguments with someone: · Why are Kate and John so antagonistic towards each other?
not interested in meeting other people or forming friendly relationships with them: · Sorry if I'm being antisocial, but I need to get my work done.· He was an antisocial loner with no friends.
Longman Language Activatorwhen someone prefers not to be with other people unfriendly and showing no emotion, as if other people's lives are of no interest to you: · The neighbors seem very distant, although I try to be friendly.· As she was growing up, her father was always distant and took little interest in her achievements.
unfriendly and not wanting to talk to other people or spend time with them, especially because you think you are better than them: · Barbara remained aloof behind the barrier of her menu.· The organization is controlled by aloof intellectuals who do not take an interest in the ordinary members.
behaving in an unfriendly and rather formal way, as if you do not want to get too involved with other people: · She can be quite stand-offish sometimes.· He was well-liked by the senior members of the firm, even though his colleagues found him standoffish and arrogant.
someone who is antisocial does not enjoy being with other people and tries to avoid meeting them or talking to them: · Not everyone who likes playing computer games is an antisocial loner.· Because she was so shy, people often thought she was antisocial.
someone who is unapproachable seems unfriendly so that you are nervous about talking to them: · He kept his arms crossed in front of him and seemed somewhat unapproachable.· A lot of the guys thought she was attractive, but she seemed so unapproachable that no one dared to talk to her.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY They worked hard, but tended to stay aloof from the local inhabitants. She had always kept herself aloof from the boys in class. Initially, the President remained aloof from the campaign. The doctor held himself somewhat aloof from the rest of the ship’s crew.
1unfriendly and deliberately not talking to other peopleremain/stay aloof (from somebody) They worked hard, but tended to stay aloof from the local inhabitants. She had always kept herself aloof from the boys in class. Initially, the President remained aloof from the campaign. The doctor held himself somewhat aloof from the rest of the ship’s crew. They worked hard, but tended to stay aloof from the local inhabitants.keep/hold yourself aloof (from somebody) She had always kept herself aloof from the boys in class. Beneath that aloof exterior, Gayle is a warm, sympathetic person.► see thesaurus at unfriendly2deliberately not becoming involved in somethingremain/stand aloof (from something) Initially, the President remained aloof from the campaign.hold/keep (yourself) aloof from something The doctor held himself somewhat aloof from the rest of the ship’s crew.—aloofness noun [uncountable]