Figurative meaning
Why this phrase?
A cold, turned-away shoulder represents a deliberately unfriendly or rejecting response.
Example
“Ever since the argument, she's been giving me the cold shoulder.”
Dictionary details
Related idioms
Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.
rub someone the wrong way
CEFR B2to irritate or offend a person, often without intending to
think the world of
CEFR B2admire or care for someone or something very deeply
break someone's heart
CEFR A2To make someone feel deep emotional pain, often by ending a relationship.
blow off steam
CEFR B1to release pent-up energy or emotion through some activity
break the ice
CEFR B1To do or say something that eases tension and gets people talking comfortably in an unfamiliar social situation.
bury the hatchet
CEFR B1to reconcile with someone and bring a quarrel to an end
Source methodology
Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.