standoffish

Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Jump to: navigation, search

Contents

English [edit]

Adjective [edit]

standoffish (comparative more standoffish, superlative most standoffish)

  1. Aloof; reserved; unsociable and unfriendly.
    • 1899, Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness, section 1
      He was stand–offish with the other agents, and they on their side said he was the manager’s spy upon them.
    • 1922, James Joyce, Ulysses, episode 16,
      His initial impression was that he was a bit standoffish or not over effusive.
    • 1928, D. H. Lawrence, Lady Chatterley's Lover, ch. 7,
      They were always a haughty family, standoffish in a way, as they've a right to be.

Synonyms [edit]

Related terms [edit]

See also [edit]

References [edit]

  • “standoffish” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, v1.0.1, Lexico Publishing Group, 2006.
  • "standoffish" in Encarta® World English Dictionary [North American Edition] © & (P)2007 Microsoft Corporation.
  • "standoffish" in Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary © Cambridge University Press 2007.
  • "standoffish" in Compact Oxford English Dictionary, © Oxford University Press, 2007.
  • Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., 1989.
  • Random House Webster's Unabridged Electronic Dictionary, 1987-1996.
Retrieved from "http://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=standoffish&oldid=19524347"