unflappable
/ʌnˈflæpəbəl/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.07 in modern English
20
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
4
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
Remaining composed and level-headed at all times; impossible to fluster; not becoming frustrated or irritated easily.
Example Sentences
- "The whole thing looked remarkably like an implacable force meeting an unflappable object."
- "It was for this reason that when Lord Hailsham first described Harold Macmillan as "unflappable'", it became an instant catchword, distancing the incoming Prime Minister from his predecessor"
- "Whereas his predecessor was impetuous, Obama was praised for being contemplative and unflappable. Bush had a gut; Obama had a brain."
- "Hill’s unflappable performance capped an extraordinary two weeks of public testimony, in which 12 witnesses testified during seven public hearings."
- "It took a lot to get Wheeler's pulse going, but Lillian's dangerous joke had done the job. The otherwise unflappable woman was flushed with adrenaline."
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Germanic *un- Proto-West Germanic *un- Old English un- Middle English un- English un- English flap Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlom Proto-Italic *-ðlom Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin -ābilis Old French -ablebor. Middle English -able English -able English unflappable From un- + flap (“to upset, stir”) + -able.
Inflected Forms
more unflappable (comparative)
most unflappable (superlative)
Frequently Paired Words
Synonyms
collected
cool
even-keeled
imperturbable
adiaphroistic
apathetic
apathistical
blasé
blithe
deaf
shiftless
dispassionate