cold shoulder
[ kohld-shohl-der ]
/ ˈkoʊld ˈʃoʊl dər /
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See synonyms for: cold shoulder / cold-shouldered / cold-shouldering / cold-shoulders on Thesaurus.com
noun
a show of deliberate indifference or disregard.
adjective
Also cold-shoul·der . (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.
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Origin of cold shoulder
First recorded in 1810–20; def. 2 was first recorded in 2010–15
Words nearby cold shoulder
cold pole, cold-pressed, cold-roll, cold-rolled, cold rubber, cold shoulder, cold shower, coldslaw, cold snap, cold sore, cold spot
Definition for cold shoulder (2 of 2)
cold-shoulder
[ kohld-shohl-der ]
/ ˈkoʊldˈʃoʊl dər /
verb (used with object)
to snub; show indifference to.
Origin of cold-shoulder
First recorded in 1810–20
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for cold shoulder
British Dictionary definitions for cold shoulder
cold shoulder
/ informal /
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
Cultural definitions for cold shoulder
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.”
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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]
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.