blase
blah-ZAY
/blɑːˈzeɪ/
Unimpressed or indifferent to something because one has experienced or seen it so often before.
Implies a sense of world-weary sophistication where nothing seems exciting or novel anymore.
The story behind the word. Borrowed from French in the early 19th century. 'Blaser' originally referred to ruining one's palate through excessive drinking or eating. Thus, a 'blasé' person is someone whose capacity for enjoyment has been dulled by overeating life's pleasures.
Word relationships
- unimpressed: Unimpressed means simply not moved; blase means unimpressed specifically due to overindulgence or excessive exposure.
- jaded: Jaded implies cynicism and exhaustion from overindulgence, whereas blase emphasizes cool indifference.
- awestruck: Awestruck describes being overwhelmed with wonder and fascination.
- impressionable: Impressionable means easily influenced and thrilled by new sights.
Commonly confused with
- bizarre: Bizarre means strange or unusual; blase means unimpressed or nonchalant.
Collocations
- blase attitude
- blase about success
- seem blase
- blase response
Idioms & expressions
- seen it all before
Example sentences
- "Having visited over fifty countries, the seasoned traveler was blase about luxury hotels." Travel commentary
- "He adopted a blase attitude toward the celebrity drama unfolding around him." Social satire
Memory hook
BLASÉ people say 'BLAH' to everything because they've seen it all. Bored by having seen it all.
When not to use
Do not use for basic physical fatigue; it refers to mental unimpressedness born of overexposure.
Fun facts
- In modern French, 'blaser' still functions as an everyday verb meaning 'to bore' or 'to dull the appetite'.
Related words
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