I am confused since the se skill practice says blase and nonchalant are synonyms, but when i look up their definition they seemed different. I also consulted chatgpt and this is what it says:
While “nonchalant” and “blasé” are related and can sometimes be used in similar contexts, they are not exact synonyms.
Nonchalant implies a relaxed, casual attitude, often in the face of potential stress or concern. It suggests a deliberate calmness.
Blasé carries the connotation of boredom or lack of interest due to having too much experience with something. It often reflects a sense of weariness or disillusionment.
So, they convey different shades of meaning, and while they can overlap in some contexts, it’s important to choose the one that best fits the specific attitude you wish to describe.
Sometimes the meanings might not match up completely and that’s fine. You don’t need to be getting everything right in this, I always tell students to aim for around 80%
Since the se practice is blind, as long as one of the meanings overlap they can be considered synonyms. Connotation also does not matter as much in se practice, as long as they are describing the same thing.
Another thing to keep in mind is that sometimes pairs won’t immediately show up on google. For example Austere and Spartan.
Spartan doesn’t show up at all in the synonyms, even in the second definition where it would fit best. But if you google spartan, austere shows up as a synonym immediately.
If you’re doing a real se q you can check if the meaning of the sentence stays the same when you swap the words.
Another instance would be words that are broad vs specific. For example, I wouldn’t necessarily pair spartan and laconic together. However, if in the se question they describe a terse speech or someone using very few words then spartan and laconic could work.
