cool may imply calmness, deliberateness, or dispassionateness.
kept a cool head
composed implies freedom from agitation as a result of self-discipline or a sedate disposition.
the composed pianist gave a flawless concert
collected implies a concentration of mind that eliminates distractions especially in moments of crisis.
the nurse stayed calm and collected
unruffled suggests apparent serenity and poise in the face of setbacks or in the midst of excitement.
harried but unruffled
imperturbable implies coolness or assurance even under severe provocation.
the speaker remained imperturbable despite the heckling
nonchalant stresses an easy coolness of manner or casualness that suggests indifference or unconcern.
a nonchalant driver
Example Sentences
In those stories, we already find the qualities the world would come to know as "Kafkaesque": the nonchalant intrusion of the bizarre and horrible into everyday life, the subjection of ordinary people to an inscrutable fate. Adam Kirsch, New York Times Book Review, 4 Jan. 2009… watch his iron-backed posture as he rides a horse and listen to the nonchalant way in which, not barking but speaking he says "Fire" to the line of infantry, like someone asking for a light. John Updike, New Yorker, 30 Sept. 2002He and Anita (and an ancient, nonchalant Lhasa apso … ) live in a gated community, surrounded by high, vine-covered walls, redolent of Wrigley, that embrace a golf club and an attractive thicket of large houses … Frank Deford, Sports Illustrated, 19 Mar. 2001It was thrilling to watch them, the regulars, so nonchalant, so composed as they slipped from Senate cloakroom to Senate hideaway, sharing jokes with powerful men old enough to be their fathers. Ward Just, New York Times Book Review, 28 May 1989 He was surprisingly nonchalant about winning the award. She faced the crowd with the nonchalant ease of an experienced speaker. The team may have been somewhat nonchalant at the beginning of the season, but they now know that they need to work hard. See More
Recent Examples on the WebAfter losing the Globe to Laura Dern, Lopez, all done up in her custom Valentino gown, walks into a hotel suite filled with her longtime squad and offers a nonchalant shoulder shrug that would break anyone’s heart. Helena Andrews-dyer, Washington Post, 16 June 2022 The ensemble calls to mind another fashion icon who established the sweatshirt-and-chunky-trainer combo as the nonchalant uniform for It girls everywhere: Princess Diana. Chelsey Sanchez, Harper's BAZAAR, 28 July 2022 After sending a nonchalant backhand long, Kyrgios gave a little annoyed flick of the head. Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 11 July 2022 Williams-Jeter was a bit taken aback by her friends’ nonchalant tone. Lila Bromberg, Hartford Courant, 12 May 2022 On the song, Harlow is surprisingly fluid and invitingly nonchalant. Sheldon Pearce, The New Yorker, 12 May 2022 In fact, the pro is going so far as to propose it as an alternative to the nonchalant red lip that is as synonymous with Gallic fashion as vintage Levi 501s. Lauren Valenti, Vogue, 11 May 2022 Also consider styling it with sneakers and rolling up the sleeves to give the shirt a more relaxed, nonchalant feel. Eva Thomas, PEOPLE.com, 8 May 2022 Stafford’s small girls, while superficially confident and dismissive, have a nonchalant worldliness that is often deliberately undercut by their peculiar brand of innocence. Miranda Seymour, The New York Review of Books, 6 July 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
French, from Old French, from present participle of nonchaloir to disregard, from non- + chaloir to concern, from Latin calēre to be warm — more at lee