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• cold shoulder
  cold shoulder

  noun

  a show of deliberate indifference or disregard.
• cold-shoulder
  cold-shoulder

  verb (used with object)

  to snub; show indifference to.

cold shoulder

¹ American  

[kohld shohl-der] / ˈkoʊld ˈʃoʊl dər /

noun

1. a show of deliberate indifference or disregard.

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adjective

1. Also cold-shoulder (of a sleeved garment) having a portion of each sleeve cut out, leaving the shoulders exposed.

   cold shoulder tops for everyday wear;

   a cold-shoulder dress.

cold-shoulder ² American  

[kohld-shohl-der] / ˈkoʊldˈʃoʊl dər /

verb (used with object)

1. to snub; show indifference to.

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cold shoulder British  

noun

1. a show of indifference; a slight

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verb

1. to treat with indifference

cold shoulder Cultural  

1. To “give someone the cold shoulder” is to ignore someone deliberately: “At the party, Carl tried to talk to Suzanne, but she gave him the cold shoulder.”

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cold shoulder Idioms  

1. Deliberate coldness or disregard, a slight or snub. For example, When I said hello to her in the library, she gave me the cold shoulder and walked away. This term, which first appeared in writings by Sir Walter Scott and others, supposedly alludes to the custom of welcoming a desired guest with a meal of roasted meat, but serving only a cold shoulder of beef or lamb—a far inferior dish—to those who outstayed their welcome. [Early 1800s]

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Etymology

Origin of cold shoulder¹

First recorded in 1810–20; cold shoulder def. 2 was first recorded in 2010–15

Origin of cold-shoulder²

First recorded in 1810–20

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cold shoulder cold-shoulder

Sure, in public, some executives may give him the cold shoulder, but when he’s in small meetings, or dealing with executives one-on-one, he says the vibe is excitement.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 28, 2026

“Yellowstone” and “Marshals” star Luke Grimes recently told podcaster Joe Rogan that he’s gotten the cold shoulder after moving to the Big Sky State with his family.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 23, 2026

When the media personality finally worked up the courage to quit, he said Banks gave him the cold shoulder.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 16, 2026

The cold shoulder that Pride groups have received is coming from not just Wall Street but also local businesses, establishments that would appear, on paper, to be natural partners for their programming.

From Slate ● Jun. 2, 2025

As the negative press filtered back to him, the megalomaniacal leader turned a cold shoulder to the criticism and insulated his team as much as possible from the other expeditions.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer

When he got back to the dugout, the 25-year-old, who made his debut on Sunday, was given the cold-shoulder treatment by his teammates before they broke down and congratulated him.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 7, 2022

One entitled “Performance,” meant to be evergreen, and defined by classic couture tropes — the sack dress, the cold-shoulder top — remixed and regurgitated in the everyday uniform of his borderless land.

From New York Times ● Feb. 17, 2022

From Bardot tops on summer holidays to cut-out knitwear for autumn, with off-the-shoulder wedding dresses and cold-shoulder blouses in between, shoulder-exposure has been this year’s standout detail.

From The Guardian ● Dec. 13, 2016

You don’t say that she’s otherwise unfriendly or standoffish, so don’t assume she’s trying to cold-shoulder you unless and until her behavior bears this theory out.

From Slate ● Nov. 1, 2016

Before Khalil, I planned to cold-shoulder Chris with a sting more powerful than a nineties R&B breakup song.

From "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas