cavalier
Definitions
Showing a careless, offhand lack of concern about something important
漫不经心的，轻率的，对重要事情满不在乎的
A gallant horseman or knight; (Cavalier) a supporter of King Charles I in the English Civil War
英武的骑手，骑士；（Cavalier）英国内战中查理一世的保皇党人
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedcaval (horse) + -ier (one who) = a man on horseback, a knight. Here's the twist: a rider physically looks down on those on foot, and that literal downward gaze turned into an attitude. The noble 'knight' soured into the adjective 'haughty, dismissive, offhand' — treating serious things as if they were beneath you.
Root caballus still carries 6 more wordsWhy It Means This
The two meanings sit on opposite ends of one image. The original noun is admiring — a dashing horseman, a knight. But mount a man on a horse and he literally rises above everyone else, and the word picked up that arrogance: the modern adjective 'cavalier' means treating something important with careless, almost contemptuous ease.
Usage Guide
In modern English the adjective dominates, almost always negative: 'cavalier about X' = recklessly careless about X (cavalier about safety / about the facts / with money). The noun 'a cavalier' (horseman/Royalist) is now mostly historical. Common pattern: be cavalier about + something serious.
Example Sentences
- 1.
She was shocked by his cavalier attitude toward safety rules.
- 2.
Don't be so cavalier about spending other people's money.
- 3.
The portrait shows a proud Cavalier in plumed hat and boots.