cold shoulder

noun

: intentionally cold or unsympathetic treatment
got the cold shoulder from an old friend
cold-shoulder transitive verb

Examples of cold shoulder in a Sentence

at the party the two former friends consciously gave each other the cold shoulder
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Despite its rocky start and the Grammys’ cold shoulder, Anti remains on the Billboard 200 today, now the longest-running album by a Black woman in the chart’s history (445 weeks and counting). Kyle Denis, Billboard, 19 Nov. 2024 Video on social media showed the awkward moment when Putintseva appeared to give the ball girl a cold shoulder during the second set of the 6-3, 6-4 loss. Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 4 Sep. 2024 Early last offseason, Jacobs felt a cold shoulder from the Raiders. Dan Pompei, The Athletic, 29 Aug. 2024 Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to deepen ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin in May, turning a cold shoulder to the U.S. after Blinken flew to Beijing in a diplomatic gesture. Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cold shoulder 

Word History

First Known Use

1816, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cold shoulder was in 1816

Dictionary Entries Near cold shoulder

Cite this Entry

“Cold shoulder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cold%20shoulder. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

cold shoulder

noun
: treatment that is purposely unfriendly
cold-shoulder verb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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