Cold shoulder Meaning in English
expression
ˈkoʊɫd/ /ˈʃoʊɫdɝ
KOHLD SHOWL-der
kˈəʊld/ /ʃˈəʊldɐ
KUHLD SHOHLD-uh
Definition
To deliberately ignore or show a lack of interest in someone as a way of being unfriendly.
Usage & Nuances
Always figurative, never about physical temperature. Common collocations: 'give someone the cold shoulder.' A polite way to describe social snubbing. Often used when describing subtle exclusion or being unfriendly on purpose.
Spanish: trato frío - ignorar (a alguien)Portuguese (BR): dar o ombro frio - desprezarPortuguese (PT): dar o ombro frio - desprezarChinese (Simplified): 冷淡对待 - 冷落Chinese (Traditional): 冷淡對待 - 冷落Hindi: अनदेखा करना - ठंडा व्यवहारArabic: تجاهل - معاملة ببرودBengali: উপেক্ষা করা - অবহেলা (মানসিকভাবে)Russian: игнорировать - холодное отношениеJapanese: 冷たくあしらう - 無視するVietnamese: làm lơ - phớt lờKorean: 차갑게 대하다 - 무시하다Turkish: soğuk davranmak - görmezden gelmekUrdu: نظرانداز کرنا - ٹھنڈا رویہ اختیار کرناIndonesian: bersikap dingin - cuekin
Example Sentences
She gave me the cold shoulder at the party.
basic
If you ignore your friends, they might give you the cold shoulder.
basic
Tom felt sad when his classmates gave him the cold shoulder.
basic
I don't know why she's giving me the cold shoulder lately.
natural
After their argument, he received the cold shoulder from everyone at work.
natural
Don't just give people the cold shoulder—talk things out.
natural