Desobligeant

/ˌdɛs.oʊ.blɪˈdʒɑ̃/ adjective

Definition

Unwilling to help or please others; not accommodating or obliging in manner or behavior.

Etymology

From French 'desobligeant', prefix 'de-' (reversal) plus 'obligeant' (obliging, helpful). Borrowed into English in the 1700s describing someone who refuses to be accommodating.

Kelly Says

This French word perfectly captures that person who makes a point of being unhelpful—not by accident, but by deliberate choice, as if refusing to oblige is their personality trait.

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