standoffish

adjective

stand·​off·​ish stand-ˈȯ-fish 

: somewhat cold and reserved

standoffishly adverb

standoffishness noun

Synonyms of standoffish

• distant
• detached
• cold
• aloof
• cool
• reserved
• withdrawn

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

The boy was quiet, even standoffish, when Steve Montgomery first met him 15 years ago. —Taylor Batten, Charlotte Observer, 13 Mar. 2026

Kirk is appealingly standoffish, if such a thing might be imagined. —Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2026

Sarandos was asked about his consistently standoffish comments about theaters, even as the company has produced crowd-pleasing titles and courted top-tier filmmakers who are passionate about the theatrical experience. —Dade Hayes, Deadline, 20 Jan. 2026

Her brood includes peacocks, chickens, goats, horses, donkeys, and a new rescue rabbit named Bugsy who’s a bit standoffish. —Emily Elias, Vogue, 15 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for standoffish

• cuttlefish
• jellyfish
• sablefish
• bluefish
• catfish
• codfish
• crawfish
• dogfish
• finfish
• flatfish
• goldfish
• groundfish

Kids Definition

standoffish

adjective

stand·​off·​ish stan-ˈdȯ-fish 

: not friendly : aloof