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
Her earthy, extroverted manner contrasts with the more reserved, standoffish Starmer, a former human rights lawyer.
—
Max Foster, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for standoffish
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Max Foster, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for standoffish
Cite this Entry
“Standoffish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/standoffish. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
standoffish
adjective
stand·off·ish
stan-ˈdȯ-fish
: not friendly : aloof
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