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
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Here’s what to know about stopping a GLP-1, including the potential side effects of quitting cold turkey, and how to come up with a tapering plan with your doctor.—
Elizabeth Yuko,
Flow Space,
5 Aug. 2025
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Families are establishing screen-free zones in their homes, states are banning phones in schools, and a new kind of summer camp has emerged: digital detox camps, which can cost around $2,000 a week, and promise to wean attendees off screens by going cold turkey for the summer.—
Elana Klein,
Wired News,
21 July 2025
Noun
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The second course comes with a clam chowder or elote street corn soup.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
9 Jan. 2026
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Du identified bristleworms, gastropods, clams, tubeworms and other organisms living in the extreme depths, supported not by sunlight but chemosynthetic microbes drawing energy from methane and sulfide seeping through the ocean floor.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
31 Dec. 2025
Noun
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If your stick vacuum lacks suction power, picking up crumbs and debris can feel like a losing battle.—
Maggie Horton,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
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This new stick-to-your-ribs chili is a great play on traditional pork chili.—
Patricia S York,
Southern Living,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
In 1912, the Titanic struck an iceberg on its fateful voyage, and the State Bank in Florida was chartered.—
Jason Dill
November 5,
Miami Herald,
5 Nov. 2025
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Hektoria continues to calve giant icebergs into the sea, according to the paper.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cold fish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cold%20fish. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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