cold-shoulder
cold-shoulder — noun
1. a state or period in which someone receives deliberately unfriendly treatment, u
a state or period in which someone receives deliberately unfriendly treatment, usually by being ignored or not engaged with in the usual warm manner.
Leo received nothing but the cold-shoulder from his teammates after he missed the winning shot.
receive the cold-shoulder from [group]
Mei got the cold-shoulder from her roommates after leaving the kitchen dirty for a week.
get the cold-shoulder from [person] — alternative verb pattern
The committee gave Jia's funding application the cold-shoulder for three months before finally rejecting it.
The manager finally asked why everyone was giving her the cold-shoulder at meetings.
- snub
more direct and often public; a snub can be a single action, while a cold-shoulder is ongoing.
- freeze-out
informal; implies deliberate exclusion from a group, stronger than cold-shoulder.
- brush-off
informal; suggests casual dismissal rather than sustained unfriendliness.
文法句型
give [person] the cold-shoulder
receive/get the cold-shoulder
cold-shoulder + noun
用法筆記
Nearly always used with the definite article: 'the cold-shoulder'. The most common verb pattern is 'give [someone] the cold-shoulder.'
常見錯誤
cold-shoulder — verb
- cold-shoulderpresent simple I / you / we / they
- cold-shouldershe / she / it
- cold-shoulderedpast simple
- cold-shouldering-ing form
1. to treat someone in a deliberately unfriendly way by ignoring them or refusing t
to treat someone in a deliberately unfriendly way by ignoring them or refusing to speak to them, usually for a period of time.
Darius felt hurt when his closest friend cold-shouldered him at the campus party.
person + cold-shoulder + person — active voice
Fatima was cold-shouldered by her lab partners when she asked them to share the workload more fairly.
passive: be cold-shouldered by [person] — reason given in when-clause
Instead of talking about the disagreement, Lan simply cold-shouldered her sister for three days.
When Takuya cold-shouldered his former best friend at school, the other students noticed the tension immediately.
Gita knew she was being cold-shouldered when the group stopped inviting her to lunch meetings.
文法句型
cold-shoulder + noun/pronoun
be cold-shouldered by [person]
用法筆記
Often used in passive constructions ('be cold-shouldered by…'). The active form always takes a direct object. Less formal alternatives include 'snub' or 'ignore'.
常見錯誤
cold-shoulder — adjective
1. describes a top or dress whose sleeves have openings cut into them so that parts
describes a top or dress whose sleeves have openings cut into them so that parts of the shoulders are left bare.
Joaquín bought a cold-shoulder top for the festival because it was light and cool.
cold-shoulder + top — most common clothing collocation
At the summer wedding, Yara's cold-shoulder blouse drew compliments from several guests who asked where she bought it.
cold-shoulder + blouse — dressy social context
Ilan prefers cold-shoulder blouses for the office during hot weather.
The boutique's spring collection features cold-shoulder dresses in floral prints and pastel colours.
- off-the-shoulder
different style — off-the-shoulder exposes both shoulders fully; cold-shoulder has cut-out openings.
- cut-out
broader term for any clothing with openings cut into the fabric.
文法句型
cold-shoulder + noun (top/dress/blouse/shirt)
用法筆記
Only used before a noun (attributive position). Refers to a specific style of clothing, not a figurative or social meaning. This sense is unrelated to the other meanings of cold-shoulder.
常見錯誤
cold-shoulder — idiom
1. a fixed idiomatic phrase describing behaviour that deliberately withholds warmth
a fixed idiomatic phrase describing behaviour that deliberately withholds warmth or friendliness by ignoring or avoiding someone, often for a period of time.
After an argument about holiday plans, Owen gave his roommate the cold shoulder.
give [person] the cold shoulder — active idiomatic pattern
Erik got the cold shoulder from the librarians after returning three books two months late.
Kwame was confused when the usually friendly baker gave him the cold shoulder after he knocked over a pastry display.
Nala received the cold shoulder from the interview panel when she arrived forty minutes late.
- snub
can be a single act; cold shoulder suggests ongoing coldness.
- silent treatment
more specific — refusing to speak at all; cold shoulder may include avoiding without complete silence.
- warm welcome
friendly reception, opposite of cold treatment.
文法句型
give [person] the cold shoulder
get the cold shoulder
receive the cold shoulder
用法筆記
Unlike the noun 'cold-shoulder', this idiom is written without a hyphen ('cold shoulder'). It is the most common form in everyday speech. The verb 'give' is the most frequent collocation.