Cold Shoulder Definition & Meaning

American

British

Cultural

Idioms

Etymology

Examples

Synonyms cold shoulder 1 American [kohld shohl-der] / ˈkoʊld ˈʃoʊl dər /

noun

1. a show of deliberate indifference or disregard.

adjective

1. Also cold-shoulder (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 2 American [kohld-shohl-der] / ˈkoʊldˈʃoʊl dər /

verb (used with object)

1. to snub; show indifference to.

cold shoulder British

noun

1. a show of indifference; a slight

"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

verb

1. to treat with indifference

"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 cold shoulder Cultural

1. 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.”

cold shoulder Idioms

1. 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]

Etymology

Origin of cold shoulder1

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

Origin of cold-shoulder1

First recorded in 1810–20

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.

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.

From BBC

But I've been given the cold shoulder ever since - not by everyone, but a few individuals, coaches and players.

From BBC

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.

From Salon

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

From Los Angeles Times

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

From Salon

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.