phlegmatic

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Related to phlegmatic: Phlegmatic temperament

phleg·mat·ic

(flĕg-măt′ĭk)

adj.

1. Of or relating to phlegm; phlegmy.

a. Having or suggesting a calm, sluggish temperament; unemotional or apathetic.

b. Archaic Having phlegm as the dominant humor in terms of medieval physiology.

[Middle English fleumatik, from Old French fleumatique, from Late Latin phlegmaticus, full of phlegm, from Greek phlegmatikos, from phlegma, phlegmat-, heat, the humor phlegm, from phlegein, to burn; see bhel- in Indo-European roots.]

phleg·mat′i·cal·ly adv.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

phlegmatic

(flɛɡˈmætɪk) or

phlegmatical

adj

1. having a stolid or unemotional disposition

2. not easily excited

phlegˈmatically adv

phlegˈmaticalness, phlegˈmaticness n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

phleg•mat•ic

(flɛgˈmæt ɪk)

also phleg•mat′i•cal,

adj.

1. not easily excited to action or display of emotion; having a calm or apathetic temperament.

2. of the nature of or abounding in the humor phlegm.

[1300–50; Middle English fleumatik < Middle French fleumatique < Late Latin phlegmaticus < Greek phlegmatikós pertaining to phlegm]

phleg•mat′i•cal•ly, adv.

phlegmatic

- First meant "abounding in phlegm" and now more commonly means "not easily excited; lacking enthusiasm; dull, sluggish"—supposedly the type of character one has from having an overabundance of phlegm.

phlegmatic

adjective unemotional, indifferent, cold, heavy, dull, sluggish, matter-of-fact, placid, stoical, lethargic, bovine, apathetic, frigid, lymphatic, listless, impassive, stolid, unfeeling, undemonstrative She spoke in a flat, phlegmatic voice.
excited, emotional, active, alert, lively, passionate, energetic, animated, hyper (informal)

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

phlegmatic

adjective

Without emotion or interest:

apathetic, detached, impassive, incurious, indifferent, insensible, lethargic, listless, stolid, unconcerned, uninterested, unresponsive.

Translations

هادئ، غَيْر مُبالٍ

lhostejnýnetečný

flegmatiskupåvirkelig

flegmaattinen

rólyndur

флегматический флегматичный

flegmatický

sakin soğukkanlı

不动感情的冷淡的冷静的

phlegmatic

[flegˈmætɪk] ADJ → flemático

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

phlegmatic

[flɛgˈmætɪk] adj → flegmatique

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

phlegmatic

adj (= cool) → seelenruhig, stoisch; (= stolid) → träge, schwerfällig, phlegmatisch

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

phlegmatic

[flɛgˈmætɪk] adj → flemmatico/a

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

phlegm

(flem) noun

thick, slimy liquid brought up from the throat by coughing.

phlegmatic (flegˈmatik) adjective

calm; not easily excited. She's very phlegmatic – nothing would ever make her panic.

References in classic literature ?

Everything being thus mapped out with almost diabolical cunning, the main body of the redskins folded their blankets around them, and in the phlegmatic manner that is to them, the pearl of manhood squatted above the children's home, awaiting the cold moment when they should deal pale death.

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'Not I, indeed!' was the phlegmatic reply; and my appearance prevented further discussion.

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Where and how did we get the idea that the Germans are a stolid, phlegmatic race?

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"May I ask what that was?" said the Englishman with an expression of curiosity, which a close observer would have been astonished at discovering in his phlegmatic countenance.

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After these tender contests and her victory she would go away by herself under the remotest cow, if at milking-time, or into the sedge, or into her room, if at a leisure interval, and mourn silently, not a minute after an apparently phlegmatic negative.

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"Saved indeed!" murmured the doctor, who had recovered all his phlegmatic coolness.

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No sign of elation disturbed his phlegmatic calm, yet inwardly he was aroused to joy by the proof he had just heard that "Lady" really was within.

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To face it without flinching, one must be a resolute savant like Barbicane, a phlegmatic being like Nicholl, or an audacious adventurer like Michel Ardan.

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And so the days passed, and with the traveling and the hunting and the climbing the boy's muscles developed and his agility increased until even phlegmatic Akut marvelled at the prowess of his pupil.

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Athos recognized his comrade, and phlegmatic as he was, he burst into a laugh which was quite excused by the strange masquerade before his eyes--petticoats falling over his shoes, sleeves tucked up, and mustaches stiff with agitation.

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The bargain was now commenced in earnest, offering an instructive scene of French protestations, assertions, contradictions and volubility on one side, and of cold, seemingly phlegmatic, but wily Yankee calculation, on the other.

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"I can hardly tell you what then; the conclusion to be drawn as to your character depends upon the nature of the motives which guide your conduct; if you are patient because you expect to make something eventually out of Crimsworth, notwithstanding his tyranny, or perhaps by means of it, you are what the world calls an interested and mercenary, but may be a very wise fellow; if you are patient because you think it a duty to meet insult with submission, you are an essential sap, and in no shape the man for my money; if you are patient because your nature is phlegmatic, flat, inexcitable, and that you cannot get up to the pitch of resistance, why, God made you to be crushed; and lie down by all means, and lie flat, and let Juggernaut ride well over you."