If you can be “nonchalant” can you also just be… chalant? Is that even a word? The answer is: sort of, but not really. Or at least, you won’t find “chalant” in the dictionary, but that doesn’t stop people from using it to mean “interested, careful, or alert.” We’ll tell you more about “chalant,” why it’s not exactly a word, where “nonchalant” came from, and other unpaired words in English.
Meaning of “Chalant"
Since "Nonchalant" means “calm or uncaring,” it would make sense for "chalant" to have the opposite meaning—“enthusiastic or interested.” However, “chalant” isn’t in the dictionary. It became a popular online slang word after people started jokingly asking what “chalant” means on platforms like TikTok.
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References
- ↑ https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/nonchalant
- ↑ https://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2010/12/nonchalant.html
- ↑ https://www.etymonline.com/word/nonchalant
- ↑ https://www.manchesterjournal.com/community-news/curtis-honeycutt-grammar-guy-socks-dryer-some-words-unpaired/article_ec7bb240-bf5a-11ed-ad9d-83e554e592d1.html