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
That impulse extends to dealing with occasional rude customers at her day gig, where the coworkers are nice but the boss, family-business heir Maxwell Sterling (Peter Serafinowicz), is one nasty cold fish.
—
Dennis Harvey, Variety, 27 Nov. 2025
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
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
Dennis Harvey, Variety, 27 Nov. 2025
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cold fish
Noun
-
In a Journal Sentinel interview, one parent raised concerns that the clinics are abandoning ongoing treatments, such as hormone replacement therapy, leaving children to go cold turkey after years of taking either estrogen or testosterone.—
Natalie Eilbert,
jsonline.com,
12 Jan. 2026
-
At first, the idea of going cold turkey is jarring and scary.—
Lauren DeCarlo,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Arsenic spikes in New Zealand’s Waikato River were blamed on invasive clams, and recent Houthi attacks in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait indirectly caused a shift in oceanic cloud formation.—
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
-
For seafood, Old Fisherman’s Grotto on Monterey’s Fisherman’s Wharf has been serving clam chowder since 1950.—
Audrey T. Williams,
Mercury News,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The couple, a man and a woman, were struck on their backs with a rattan stick in a public park while dozens of people watched, according to an AFP reporter at the scene.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The new approach to performance assessment isn’t all stick—there are carrots, too.—
Claire Zillman,
Fortune,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Like an iceberg, much of our creative processing happens beneath the surface.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Mother Nature can create ice jams, which are like icebergs that can potentially slam into bridges, docks, boats and more.—
Megan Shinn,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cold fish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cold%20fish. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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