give someone the cold shoulder Definition

cold
adj

1. Low in temperature; not hot or warm.

Thesaurus: chilly, inclement, frozen, frigid, arctic, biting, raw, wintry, glacial, icy; Antonym: warm.
2. Lower in temperature than is normal, comfortable or pleasant.
3. Said of food: cooked, but not eaten hot.

Example: cold meat
4. Unfriendly.

Thesaurus: distant, reserved, cool, indifferent, aloof, chill, unmoved, standoffish, stony; Antonym: friendly, sympathetic, passionate.
5. Comfortless; depressing.
6. colloq
Unenthusiastic.
Example: The suggestion left me cold
7. Without warmth or emotion.

Example: a cold calculating person
8. Sexually unresponsive.
9. Said of colours: producing a feeling of coldness rather than warmth.
10. colloq
Unconscious, usually after a blow, fall, etc.
Example: out cold
11. Dead.
12. Said of someone trying to guess or find something: far from the answer or the hidden object.
13. Said of a trail or scent: not fresh; too old to follow.

adverb

1. Without preparation or rehearsal.

noun

1. Lack of heat or warmth; cold weather.

Thesaurus: chill, frigidity, frostiness, refrigeration, freeze, draught, glaciation, gelidity; Antonym: warmth, heat.
(also Scottish)
2. A highly contagious viral infection, which causes inflammation of the mucous membranes of the respiratory organs and whose symptoms include a sore throat, coughing and sneezing, and a congested nose. Also called the common cold.

Form: the cold

Derivative: coldly
adverb

With an unfriendly manner.

Derivative: coldness
noun

Idiom: catch cold

To become ill with a cold.

Idiom: get cold feet

To lose courage.

To become reluctant to carry something out.

Idiom: give someone the cold shoulder

colloq
To respond aloofly to them; to rebuff or snub them.

Idiom: in cold blood

Deliberately and unemotionally.

Idiom: make someone's blood run cold

To terrify or horrify them.

Idiom: out in the cold

colloq
Ignored, disregarded and neglected by others.
Thesaurus: forgotten, ignored, rejected, abandoned, left to rot (slang).

Idiom: pour cold water on something (throw cold water on something)

colloq
To be discouraging or unenthusiastic about a plan, idea, etc.

Etymology: Anglo-Saxon ceald.

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shoulder
noun

1. In humans and animals: the part on either side of the body, just below the neck, where the arm or forelimb joins the trunk.
2. The part of a garment that covers this.
3. A cut of meat consisting of the animal's upper foreleg.
4. The bearer of burdens; the capacity to bear burdens.

Example: He has a lot of responsibility on his shoulders
Example: have broad shoulders
Form: shoulders
5. Any object or part resembling a human shoulder.
6. Any curve resembling that between the shoulder and the neck.
7. Either edge of a road.

verb shouldered, shouldering

1. To bear (eg a responsibility).

Thesaurus: accept, assume, bear, carry, sustain, take on.
2. To carry on one's shoulders.
3. To thrust with the shoulder.

Thesaurus: shove, jostle, push, thrust.

Idiom: give someone the cold shoulder

See under cold.

Idiom: put one's shoulder to the wheel

colloq
To get down to some hard work; to make a great effort.

Idiom: rub shoulders with someone

colloq
To meet or associate with them.

Idiom: shoulder arms

Said of soldiers on a parade, etc: to bring the rifle to an upright position close to the right side of the body with the barrel against the shoulder.

Idiom: a shoulder to cry on

A person to tell one's troubles to.

Idiom: shoulder to shoulder

Together in friendship or agreement; side by side.

Idiom: (straight) from the shoulder

colloq
Frankly and forcefully.

Etymology: Anglo-Saxon sculdor.