give the cold shoulder

Meaning

1. 1phraseidiom

   to treat someone in a noticeably unfriendly way, often by ignoring them or refusing to talk.

   Grammar: The person comes after give: give someone the cold shoulder. You can also say give the cold shoulder to someone, but that is less common.

   Patterns

   • give someone the cold shoulder
   • give the cold shoulder to someone

   After their argument, Maya gave Ben the cold shoulder for a whole week.

   I tried to say hello, but she gave me the cold shoulder and walked past.

   He felt hurt when his colleagues gave him the cold shoulder at lunch.

Common combinations

give someone the cold shoulder

The manager gave him the cold shoulder after he complained.

get the cold shoulder

I don't know why I got the cold shoulder from everyone at the party.

give the cold shoulder to someone

She gave the cold shoulder to her ex-boyfriend at the reunion.

be given the cold shoulder

He was given the cold shoulder by the whole team.

Synonyms and how they differ

ignore

This is more general and can be accidental; give the cold shoulder suggests a deliberate, unfriendly choice.

snub

This is stronger and more public, often meaning to insult someone by refusing to notice them.

shun

This is more formal and suggests avoiding someone completely over a long period.

Opposites

Commonly confused: give the cold shoulder or cold shoulder?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “give the cold shoulder”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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