Slang & idioms
"the cold shoulder", drawn literally
Literally

the cold shoulder

(phrase)Neutral

What it actually means

Deliberate, unfriendly silence — ignoring someone to signal you're upset with them.

In a sentence

  • “She's been giving me the cold shoulder since the argument.”
  • “I won't apologize, but I won't give him the cold shoulder either.”

Also known as

silent treatmentfreeze out

Where it’s used

everyday

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More idioms like this

the cold shoulder — American slang definition + audio