cold shower

Idioms  

1. A surprisingly chilly reception, reaction, or response, as in The small voter turnout was a cold shower to the League of Women Voters. The allusion in this term is to the unexpected and not always pleasant effect of an ice-cold shower. [Second half of 1900s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cold shower

Participants briefly cooled down under a cold shower halfway through the session.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026

So a year or so on, he must feel the Civil Service has not yet been given the short sharp shock of an invigorating cold shower he thinks it needs.

From BBC ● Feb. 13, 2026

"He was very firm. It was a cold shower," one source shared.

From Salon ● Jan. 24, 2025

Other cooling methods include wetting the skin, soaking clothing with cool water and taking a cold shower or bath if possible.

From Scientific American ● Aug. 5, 2023

I need a cold shower to keep things going?

From "It’s Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini