as in cold turkey
a cold aloof person
her husband is such a cold fish that I'm reluctant to have them over for dinner
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Recent Examples of cold fish
Lancelot, still the Round Table’s greatest hero, is a bit of a cold fish with an unexpected role to play as the saga winds to its close.
—
Elizabeth Hand, Washington Post, 16 July 2024
This emulsified mixture of garlic, olive oil and egg is a classic accompaniment to fish (especially cold fish).
—Domenica Marchetti, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024
Anxious people are hurt and damaged while avoidants are cold fishes.
—Vicky Spratt, refinery29.com, 17 Oct. 2023
The book also says the sauce is to be served with calf’s head or cold fish.
—G. Daniela Galarza, Washington Post, 27 July 2023
As Alfred Uhry’s book — also a Tony winner — relates, Leo, the manager of a pencil factory owned by Lucille’s uncle, is a misfit in Atlanta: a New York Jew but also a cold fish.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2023
There would be plates of bright red tuna crudo, the cold fish drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt flakes.
—Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Aug. 2022
Uncle Richard came round to the flat especially to reason with her, and reported back to Hilary that his niece was a funny sort of girl, bit of a cold fish, very set on her own ideas.
—Tessa Hadley, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2022
Each ticket comes with a 15-minute window for pickup, to avoid any risk of long lines and cold fish.
—Star Tribune, 25 Feb. 2021
Elizabeth Hand, Washington Post, 16 July 2024
This emulsified mixture of garlic, olive oil and egg is a classic accompaniment to fish (especially cold fish).
—Domenica Marchetti, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024
Anxious people are hurt and damaged while avoidants are cold fishes.
—Vicky Spratt, refinery29.com, 17 Oct. 2023
The book also says the sauce is to be served with calf’s head or cold fish.
—G. Daniela Galarza, Washington Post, 27 July 2023
As Alfred Uhry’s book — also a Tony winner — relates, Leo, the manager of a pencil factory owned by Lucille’s uncle, is a misfit in Atlanta: a New York Jew but also a cold fish.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2023
There would be plates of bright red tuna crudo, the cold fish drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt flakes.
—Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Aug. 2022
Uncle Richard came round to the flat especially to reason with her, and reported back to Hilary that his niece was a funny sort of girl, bit of a cold fish, very set on her own ideas.
—Tessa Hadley, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2022
Each ticket comes with a 15-minute window for pickup, to avoid any risk of long lines and cold fish.
—Star Tribune, 25 Feb. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cold fish
Noun
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That’s why quitting cold turkey can be difficult and ineffective for someone used to frequently vaping high doses of nicotine.—
Quispe López,
Them,
3 Feb. 2025
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But cutting Big Russ forced the Broncos to go cold turkey in record time, to eat a ton of cap money and go young all over the place.—
Sean Keeler,
The Denver Post,
6 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Some live wildlife is confiscated in very large numbers, like corals and clams, which are part of the predominant aquatic invertebrate trade in Southern California.—
Adriana Pérez,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Feb. 2025
-
The exhibition also highlights gold substitutes used in the past, such as sea silk made from the filaments secreted by the Pinna nobilis, a type of large saltwater clam; golden spider silk from Madagascar, and yellow cocoons produced by a type of silkworm in Cambodia.—
Joelle Diderich,
WWD,
12 Feb. 2025
Noun
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When hardware makers try to simply stick that OS into a handheld screen size controlled by buttons and analog sticks, the results can be awkward at best.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
11 Mar. 2025
-
President Donald Trump is defying projections of an economic recession, plowing forward with new tariffs and, in the process, abandoning one of the core economic measuring sticks of his first term in office: the stock market.—
Christian Datoc,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
11 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
This is the equivalent of deliberately sailing a ship into an iceberg.—
Kris Van Cleave,
CBS News,
11 Mar. 2025
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Nutrients from the iceberg’s melt could boost food availability for the regional ecosystem, according to a statement from the British Antarctic Survey.—
Sara Hashemi,
Smithsonian Magazine,
5 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cold fish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cold%20fish. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.
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