COLD SHOULDER Definition & Meaning

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cold shoulder

[ kohld shohl-der ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a show of deliberate indifference or disregard.

adjective

Also ��Ǳ��-��ǳܱ�·��. (of a sleeved garment) having a portion of each sleeve cut out, leaving the shoulders exposed:
cold shoulder tops for everyday wear;
a cold-shoulder dress.

cold-shoulder

[ kohld-shohl-der ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

verb (used with object)

to snub; show indifference to.

cold shoulder

noun

the cold shoulder
a show of indifference; a slight

verb

to treat with indifference

cold shoulder

To “give someone the cold shoulder” is to ignore someone deliberately: “At the party, Carl tried to talk to Suzanne, but she gave him the cold shoulder.”

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of cold shoulder¹

First recorded in 1810–20; cold shoulder def 2 was first recorded in 2010–15

Origin of cold shoulder²

First recorded in 1810–20

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Idioms and Phrases

Deliberate coldness or disregard, a slight or snub. For example, When I said hello to her in the library, she gave me the cold shoulder and walked away . This term, which first appeared in writings by Sir Walter Scott and others, supposedly alludes to the custom of welcoming a desired guest with a meal of roasted meat, but serving only a cold shoulder of beef or lamb—a far inferior dish—to those who outstayed their welcome. [Early 1800s]

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Hartley, who did not name Ecclestone or any player in her initial comments, said she had received "the cold shoulder" from some members of the team.

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Alex Hartley has been "shocked" at being given "the cold shoulder" by England players during the Women's Ashes because of comments the former spinner made about the team's fitness.

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All five living presidents and former presidents attended the funeral, but the list of people who gave the Carter critic the cold shoulder and those with open arms did not follow party lines.

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Beyoncé, months after lamenting not “being country ‘nough” in “Cowboy Carter,” is getting the cold shoulder from the country music scene — again.

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What if the company just gave this guy the cold shoulder?

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

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