standoffish
adjective
stand·off·ish
stand-ˈȯ-fish 
: somewhat cold and reserved
standoffishly
adverb
standoffishness
noun
Examples of standoffish in a Sentence
She tends to be a bit standoffish with strangers.
she proved to be simply shy, not standoffish
Recent Examples on the Web
DeVito, on the other hand, was a series regular on all five seasons, portraying Louie De Palma, the standoffish head dispatcher of the Sunshine Cab Company.
—
Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Ozzy was standoffish, didn't like to play, and refused to let Sunny lay near him.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Aug. 2025
The opening match between Finland and Iceland was incredibly standoffish, with neither side looking to close down in the opposition’s half at all.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 6 July 2025
Hired as a live-in caretaker in the opulent home, Ana Maria (Jenny Navarrete), a pregnant Colombian immigrant in Panama City hiding a major secret, develops a genuine bond with the initially standoffish Mechi, making for an unassumingly poignant and superbly acted two-hander.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for standoffish
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Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Ozzy was standoffish, didn't like to play, and refused to let Sunny lay near him.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Aug. 2025
The opening match between Finland and Iceland was incredibly standoffish, with neither side looking to close down in the opposition’s half at all.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 6 July 2025
Hired as a live-in caretaker in the opulent home, Ana Maria (Jenny Navarrete), a pregnant Colombian immigrant in Panama City hiding a major secret, develops a genuine bond with the initially standoffish Mechi, making for an unassumingly poignant and superbly acted two-hander.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for standoffish
Cite this Entry
“Standoffish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/standoffish. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
standoffish
adjective
stand·off·ish
stan-ˈdȯ-fish
: not friendly : aloof
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