offish

[ aw-fish, of-ish ]
See synonyms for offish on Thesaurus.com
adjectiveInformal.
  1. aloof; unapproachable; standoffish.

Origin of offish

1
An Americanism dating back to 1825–35; off + -ish1

Other words from offish

  • off·ish·ly, adverb
  • off·ish·ness, noun

Words Nearby offish

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use offish in a sentence

  • Brand's a stand-offish kind of cuss, but he don't measure up so much higher than other folks as what he thinks, mebbe.

    Pippin; A Wandering Flame | Laura E. Richards
  • I have noticed that she is terribly offish with the girls, and they are half afraid to be pleasant with her.

  • I always have liked military men, but you're so stand-offish; and now, of course, goodness knows what you'll think!

    The Dark Tower | Phyllis Bottome
  • But she was very offish until she learned to what party I belonged, and then gave me a dipper full of sweet milk.

    The Little Red Foot | Robert W. Chambers
  • I wanta go back to the offish and clean out that bunch of stiffs.

British Dictionary definitions for offish

offish

/ (ˈɒfɪʃ) /


adjective
  1. informal aloof or distant in manner

Derived forms of offish

  • offishly, adverb
  • offishness, noun

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