noun, na-adjective
stubborn and aloof; proudly independent
Describes a person who is obstinate in their own ways and keeps a proud distance from others, often with a nuance of noble isolation. A yojijukugo used in literary or formal contexts.
彼は狷介孤高な態度で、誰とも打ち解けようとしなかった。
With a stubborn and aloof attitude, he made no effort to get close to anyone.
狷介孤高の精神は、時に芸術家の孤独な生き方に例えられる。
The spirit of proud independence is sometimes likened to the solitary life of an artist.
A yojijukugo combining 狷介 (obstinate, narrow-minded) and 孤高 (aloof, proudly solitary). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it is a literary compound used to describe a stubbornly independent character.