froideur

American  

[frwa-dœr] / frwaˈdœr /

noun

French.

1. an attitude of haughty aloofness; cold superiority.

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Etymology

Origin of froideur

First recorded in 1820–25; French: literally, “coldness”; equivalent to froid “cold” + -eur -eur ( def. )

Explanation

Froideur is a state of being cool or aloof to other people. Your classmate may be smart and attractive, but their froideur makes it very hard to get to know them well. Some people are warm and welcoming, while others have an aura of froideur, a chilly, distant, or haughty attitude that is quite the opposite. Examples of froideur include showing no emotion after a classmate's touching speech or greeting someone at your door with a cold gaze and an expressionless, "Yes?" In French, froideur means "coldness."

Example Sentences

That sounds a lot like the way Carson lived, based on the way a 1978 New Yorker profile summed up the venerated host’s jovial froideur.

From Salon • Jul. 31, 2025

Melania’s public froideur toward her husband is the stuff of viral memes and late-night TV spoofs.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 23, 2024

Such is the method of the movie: patient, composed, and cool to the point of froideur.

From The New Yorker • Oct. 25, 2019

Her playing Jacqueline Kennedy in Pablo Larraín’s “Jackie” could have been more stunt work — the accent, the brittleness, the froideur.

From New York Times • Dec. 8, 2016

Again, another Cupid with eyes bandaged, pouring water out of a vase to cool a flaming heart he holds in his hand, motto "Sa froideur me glace les veines et son ardeur brûle mon cœur."

From Brittany & Its Byways by Palliser, Bury, Mrs.