Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense cold-shoulders, present participle cold-shouldering, past tense, past participle cold-shoulderedlanguage note: The form cold-shoulder is used for the verb.
1. singular noun
If one person gives another thecold shoulder, they behave towards them in an unfriendly way, to show them that they do not care about them or that they want them to go away.
But when Gough looked to Haig for support, he was given the cold shoulder.
2.
See cold-shoulder
cold-shoulder
verb
If one person cold-shoulders another, they give them the cold-shoulder.
He was cold-shouldered by his team-mates for bringing shame on the club. [VERB noun]
See full dictionary entry for cold shoulder
cold shoulder in British English
informal
noun
1. the cold shoulder
verbcold-shoulder(transitive)
2.
to treat with indifference
cold-shoulder in British English
(ˌkəʊldˈʃəʊldə)
verb(transitive)
informal
to treat (a person) with indifference
cold shoulder in American English
Informal
deliberate indifference or coldness; a slight, rebuff, or snub
often used with the
Derived forms
cold-shoulder (ˈcold-ˈshoulder)
verb transitive
Examples of 'cold shoulder' in a sentence
cold shoulder
I shall simply give it the cold shoulder, like I did Christmas, I decided as I arrived at my desk.