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definitions

offish

[aw-fish, of-ish]
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adjective Informal.

aloof; unapproachable; standoffish.

RELATED WORDS

aloof, annoyed, apathetic, chill, chilly, distant, frigid, impertinent, impudent, incurious, indifferent, insolent, lukewarm, offended, offhand, remote, reserved, reticent, solitary, standoffish

Origin of offish

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35; off + -ish1
Related formsoff·ish·ly, adverboff·ish·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for offish

Historical Examples of offish

  • Then in her offish way she asked if we were through with her lexicon.

    Beatrice Leigh at College

    Julia Augusta Schwartz

  • It might be a new sensation to kiss Susan, always so prim and offish.

  • For at least an hour next morning Vedder was very dignified and offish.

    Under Boy Scout Colors

    Joseph Bushnell Ames

  • I wanta go back to the offish and clean out that bunch of stiffs.

  • Moreover, being an army girl, as he had learned, she should not be so offish with an officer.

    Ray's Daughter

    Charles King

British Dictionary definitions for offish

offish

adjective

informal aloof or distant in manner
Derived Formsoffishly, adverboffishness, 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