aplomb means self-confidence; poise; composure. It carries an Arena rating of 1522, earned across 2 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, aplomb ranks #2,309 of 14,431 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound, #2,357 of 14,297 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words, #2,737 of 14,445 for Most Beautiful Words, #3,838 of 14,361 for Most Ingenious Words.
aplomb is pronounced /əˈplʌm/.
Why “aplomb” is a great word
Aplomb is the quality of self-possessed assurance and imperturbable poise, especially under pressure. From the French aplomb ("perpendicularity, self-possession"), from the phrase à plomb ("according to the plumb line"), first attested in English in 1828. Unlike arrogance, which swaggers with brittle pride, or nervousness, which trembles at the edges, aplomb is the quiet calibration of self amid disturbance. It is the conductor's unhurried gesture that gathers a scattered orchestra, the surgeon's hand finding the exact angle through tissue, the witness whose voice does not waver under cruel cross-examination—the body's quiet agreement with gravity, as if composure were merely a matter of alignment.
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from French aplomb (“plumb line”).
noun
- Self-confidence; poise; composure.“His nonchalance and aplomb during hard times have always been his best character trait.”
- The apparent elegance and precision exhibited by a confident, accomplished dancer.
- The perpendicular; perpendicularity.
Words closest in meaning
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