froideur

noun froi·deur \ ˌf(r)wä-ˈdər , -ˈdœr \

Definition of froideur

: coolness or extreme reserve in manner

… glaring at reporters from beneath her jet-black eyebrows, lasering unwelcome questions with arctic blasts of froideur.
—Tom Shone and Nicoletta Santoro

There was, as befitting his Scandinavian froideur, little outward sign of emotion …
—Oliver Brown

Recent Examples of froideur from the Web

There’s no hint of formal froideur from the smiling young staffers, dressed in breezy contemporary uniforms by 26-year-old designer Hugo Matha.

— christopher bagley, CNT, "Inside Paris's Remodeled Hôtel de Crillon," 6 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'froideur.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of froideur

borrowed from French, literally, "chill, cold," going back to Old French freidur, froidour, from freid, froid "cold" (going back to Latin frīgidus) + -ur, -our ²-or — more at frigid

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1784

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year