to-maintain-an-air-of-studied-nonchalance
/tuː meɪnˈteɪn ən eə r ɒv ˌstjuːd.id ˌnɒnˈʃɑː.ləns/ IELTSAcademic
verb
To act calm, casual, or unconcerned on purpose, even when you may care a lot. It suggests you are carefully pretending not to be impressed, worried, or eager.
- She maintained an air of studied nonchalance during the interview.
- He smiled, trying to keep his cool.
- They acted unfazed, but they were clearly excited.
Adinary Nuance
This phrase is stronger and more deliberate than calm or casual. It suggests the person is putting on the attitude on purpose, not naturally feeling it. It is also more formal and literary than keep your cool or act cool.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- giữ vẻ thản nhiên
- Spanish
- mantener la calma fingida
- Chinese
- 故作镇定
- Japanese
- 平静を装う
- Korean
- 태연한 척하다
Etymology
This is a later English phrase built from French and English parts. Studied comes from the idea of being carefully learned or practiced, and nonchalance came into English from French in the 1700s.
Common phrases
with studied nonchalancean air of nonchalancemaintain nonchalance
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is "studied nonchalance" formal or informal?
- It is fairly formal and often used in writing, news, or careful speech.
- How is this different from "calm"?
- Calm is natural state. Studied nonchalance means the calm look is done on purpose.
- Can I use it in business writing?
- Yes, but it sounds literary. In business, simpler words like "calm" or "composed" are more natural.
- Does it mean the person really does not care?
- Not always. Often the person does care, but is hiding it.