standoffish
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- standoffishly adverb
- standoffishness noun
Etymology
Origin of standoffish
Explanation
Someone who's standoffish is aloof or unfriendly. When you first meet someone, she might seem standoffish when really she's just shy. A politician who appears standoffish will have more trouble getting elected than one who seems warm and likable. The adjective standoffish is a great informal word for describing people who are reserved or haughty or cold. Standoffish comes from a now obsolete meaning of the phrase stand off, "hold aloof."
Vocabulary lists containing standoffish
Life Is So Good
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The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
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The Bad Beginning
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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.
Kirk is appealingly standoffish, if such a thing might be imagined.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 7, 2026
Or maybe the grouchy, standoffish, self-righteous pain in the butt is a character that resonates in Denmark.
From New York Times • Mar. 13, 2024
Over the course of seven years, we saw them morph from standoffish children — often bullied because of the complexion of their skin — to two young, confident leaders.
From Seattle Times • Aug. 4, 2023
At a 1988 talk, the journalist Paul Goldberger asked Portman about the standoffish design of his Times Square Marriott Marquis.
From Slate • Jul. 28, 2023
The three females were more standoffish, but they didn’t seem to mind Marc coming onto their island.
From "My Life with the Chimpanzees" by Jane Goodall
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
