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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]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"I was last this morning," the mother-of-three smiles, "so I had the cold shower."

From BBC • Apr. 22, 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

She was given medications, a cold pack and a cold shower, according to the Office of Professional Responsibility.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 1, 2023

The water bounded from the mountain-top, tore leaves and branches from the trees, poured like a cold shower over the straggling heap on the sand.

From "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.