cold shower

Idioms

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.

See Examples For:

cold shower

"He was very firm. It was a cold shower," one source shared.

From Salon ● Jan. 24, 2025

This was the dampest of damp nights on Tyneside, with a torrential cloudburst delivering a freezing cold shower all over Newcastle United's Champions League aspirations.

From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2023

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

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