cold-shoulder

[kohld-shohl-der]

See more synonyms for cold-shoulder on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to snub; show indifference to.

Origin of cold-shoulder

First recorded in 1810–20

cold shoulder

noun

a show of deliberate indifference or disregard.

Origin of cold shoulder

First recorded in 1810–20

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for cold-shoulder

haughty, presumptuous, imperious, pretentious, aloof, cocky, cavalier, smug, vain, pompous, bossy, derisive, insulting, disrespectful, condescending, disdainful, scornful, forbidding, chilly, icy

Examples from the Web for cold-shoulder

Historical Examples of cold-shoulder

As to Frances, she behaved abominably, and turned the cold-shoulder to everybody.
It May Be True Volume 1 of 3
Mrs. Wood
Swift does not at once fascinate and cold-shoulder him as he does to so many people.
The Art of Letters
Robert Lynd
One doesn't realize these things at first—neither of you will, till you see how dreadfully Society can cold-shoulder.
Beyond
John Galsworthy

British Dictionary definitions for cold-shoulder

cold shoulder

noun

the cold shoulder a show of indifference; a slight

verb cold-shoulder (tr)

to treat with indifference

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for cold-shoulder

cold shoulder

1816, in the figurative sense of "icy reception," first in Sir Walter Scott, probably originally a literal figure, but commonly used with a punning reference to "cold shoulder of mutton," considered a poor man's dish and thus, perhaps, something one would set out for an unwanted guest with deliberate intention to convey displeasure.

How often have we admired the poor knight, who, to avoid the snares of bribery and dependence, was found making a second dinner from a cold shoulder of mutton, above the most affluent courtier, who had sold himself to others for a splendid pension! ["No Fiction," 1820]

cold-shoulder in Culture

cold shoulder

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.”

Idioms and Phrases with cold-shoulder

cold shoulder

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]