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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
-
Having mesh wire baskets on the table to help fish out ingredients from the broth that may be hard to handle with chopsticks, like a clam or a fish ball, can be helpful.—
Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner,
Martha Stewart,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Spooned over the top is a clam and cream sauce with bits of crispy guanciale strewn throughout for an unctuous, salty backbone.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
With pressure levels reaching a breaking point, the 29-year-old stepped up and, with one incredible deke and one backhanded flick of her stick, wrote a chapter in this rivalry’s history that will be remembered for quite some time.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Harvey, a strong skater with tremendous stick skills and vision as a defensewoman, has been getting praise from the men’s hockey team, including Matthew Tkachuk.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The nearby Sermeq Kujalleq glacier is one of the fastest-moving and most active on the planet, sending more icebergs into the sea than any other glacier outside Antarctica, according to the United Nations cultural organization UNESCO.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Feb. 2026
-
That’s just the tip of the political iceberg.—
Bradley Tusk,
New York Daily News,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cold fish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cold%20fish. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
