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avoid intimacy

[əˈvɔɪd ɪnˈtɪməsi]
verb phrase
evitar intimidade
1. to deliberately stay away from or prevent close physical, emotional, or romantic contact with someone
He tends to avoid intimacy in his relationships because of past trauma.
Ele tende a evitar intimidade em seus relacionamentos por causa de um trauma passado.
2. to refrain from engaging in intimate behavior or deep emotional connection
She decided to avoid intimacy until she felt ready for commitment.
Ela decidiu evitar intimidade até se sentir pronta para um compromisso.
NYC Slang
keep it real distant / play it cool
Synonyms
shun closenesskeep distancemaintain distanceevitar proximidadeafastar-se
Antonyms
seek intimacyembrace closenesspursue intimacybuscar intimidadeaproximar-se

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
evitar intimidade
most common usage across Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
evitar intimidade / manter distância
colloquial variant includes keeping distance
São Paulo
evitar intimidade / fugir de proximidade
formal business and psychological contexts
Portugal
evitar intimidade / manter distância afectiva
emphasizes emotional distance in European Portuguese

Related Idioms & Phrases

keep someone at arm's length
put up walls
maintain emotional distance
manter alguém à distância
levantar muros
manter distância emocional
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