detached
Other forms: detachedly
If something is detached, it stands apart from something else. That goes for people, emotions, retinas, garages, and just about anything else that can be disconnected or uninvolved.
In the simplest sense, detached means "not attached." Which is a fine state to be in if you're talking about houses (it means they're not connected, like row houses) or your neighbor's aggressive dog (who was chomping down on your leg a few minutes ago). But if a person is emotionally detached, be careful: They're not in touch with their own emotions, or very interested in understanding yours.
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no longer connected or joined
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not fixed in position
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being or feeling set or kept apart from others
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showing lack of emotional involvement“she may be detached or even unfeeling but at least she's not hypocritically effusive”
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synonyms:
degage, uninvolved
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unconcerned
lacking in interest or care or feeling
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unconcerned
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lacking affection or warm feeling
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synonyms:
unaffectionate, uncaring
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unloving
not giving or reciprocating affection
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unloving
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used of buildings; standing apart from others“detached houses”“a detached garage”
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synonyms:
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freestanding, separate
standing apart; not attached to or supported by anything
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semidetached
attached on one side only
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antonyms:
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attached
used of buildings joined by common sidewalls
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freestanding, separate
/diˈtætʃt/
/dɪˈtætʃt/
- MLA
- APA
- Chicago
Vocabulary lists containing detached
In the 1960s, tensions between two rival gangs separated along economic lines reach a violent breaking point.
In this classic coming-of-age story, Scout Finch recounts her childhood in Maycomb, Alabama. When Scout's father is appointed to defend a black man in a high-profile trial, racial tensions in the small town come to a head. Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–6, Chapters 7–11, Chapters 12–15, Chapters 16–19, Chapters 20–25, Chapters 26–31 Here is a link to our lists for Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
In Ralph Ellison's classic novel, a nameless narrator struggles with his sense of identity in a world that treats him like he is invisible.