out in the cold

Idioms  

1. Excluded from benefits given to others, neglected, as in Her stand on abortion left her out in the cold with the party. This idiom alludes to being left outdoors without shelter. [Mid-1800s] Also see come in from the cold.

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Example Sentences

That leaves people like you and your husband out in the cold, waiting in a long line you never signed up for.

From MarketWatch • May 1, 2026

“Years of narrow, large cap leadership have forced active investors into mega caps, leaving the average stock out in the cold — it’s 20% underweight, and owned by a paltry 10% of funds on average.”

From Barron's • Feb. 10, 2026

Structures made out of bed sheets and clothing—assembled by displaced Palestinians who haven’t received a proper tent—are disintegrating in the heavy rains and winds, leaving many out in the cold.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 13, 2025

Left or right, Republican or Democrat, Americans want to know that they won’t be left out in the cold, literally, if life deals them a bad hand.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 9, 2025

We sat out in the cold for a long time because I was more than a little afraid of what our end might have been.

From "My Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George