- the cold shoulder ⇒ a show of indifference; slight
- to treat with indifference
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
ˈcold ˈshoul•der, n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- deliberate indifference or other unfriendly treatment:We gave her the cold shoulder whenever we saw her.
cold′ shoul′der,
cold-shoul•der (kōld′shōl′dər),USA pronunciation v.t.
- a show of deliberate indifference or disregard.
- 1810–20
cold-shoul•der (kōld′shōl′dər),USA pronunciation v.t.
- to snub;
show indifference to.
- 1810–20
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
cold shoulder informal n cold-shoulder (transitive)
'cold shoulder' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):