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]

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Example Sentences

"Everybody received that email like a cold shower," he said.

From BBC • Jan. 10, 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

But he retracted it immediately, for the contact felt like a cold shower all over him.

From "The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka