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

Other definitions 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. 2023

How to use cold shoulder in a sentence

Ignoring them may be the best solution, but some might take your cold shoulder as coals for their fire, making matters even worse.
Dreading family time over the holidays? These 6 tips will help.|Sandra Gutierrez G.|November 23, 2021|Popular-Science
After giving a cold shoulder to cryptocurrencies for years, India’s central bank is finally set to launch its own digital currency, and investors in the country have a reason to cheer.
Indian central bank’s digital rupee could pave the way ahead for country’s crypto ecosystem|Mimansa Verma|July 26, 2021|Quartz
For almost 30 years, NASA has given Venus the cold shoulder.
NASA is ending its 30-year Venus drought with two new missions|Neel V. Patel|June 2, 2021|MIT Technology Review
This is comedy based on a cold humor, detached, euphemistic, devoid of any generosity.
Houellebecq’s Incendiary Novel Imagines France With a Muslim President|Pierre Assouline|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST

We indulge in expensive cold-pressed juices and SoulCycle classes, justifying these purchases as investments in our health.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze|Lizzie Crocker|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Cold War fears could be manipulated through misleading art to attract readers to daunting material.
How Pulp Fiction Saved Literature|Wendy Smith|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The vaccine is delivered through a “carrier virus” that causes a common cold in chimpanzees but does not affect humans.
The Race for the Ebola Vaccine|Abby Haglage|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Accusing his opponents of being locked in a Cold War mind-set, it is Stone who is beholden to old orthodoxies.
Oliver Stone’s Latest Dictator Suckup|James Kirchick|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
She was holding the back of her chair with one hand; her loose sleeve had slipped almost to the shoulder of her uplifted arm.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
Madame de Condillac stood watching him, her face composed, her glance cold.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
Being quieted by the Captain with a draught of cold tea, and made to sit down, the examination of the book proceeded.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
When alone she sometimes picked it up and kissed the cold glass passionately.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
I only saw the glitter of a bayonet which a Mexican thrust into his shoulder, at the very moment he was helping me up.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various

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.”

Other 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]

cold shoulder

Origin of cold shoulder

Words nearby cold shoulder

Other definitions for cold shoulder (2 of 2)

Origin of cold-shoulder

Words related to cold shoulder

How to use cold shoulder in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cold shoulder

Cultural definitions for cold shoulder

Other Idioms and Phrases with cold shoulder