offish

adjective

ˈȯ-fish How to pronounce offish (audio)
Definition of offishnext
as in distant
having or showing a lack of friendliness or interest in others she was consistently surly and offish with the would-be suitors who came calling

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 offish So long as that situation continues, the 43-year-old’s allegedly arrogant and stand-offish treatment of his players will not worry the club hierarchy too much. — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025 They weren’t being stand-offish, not at all. — Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025 Guzmán said the stereotype that Germans are stand-offish is way off the mark. — Soudi Jiménezescritor, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2022 But announcements on two continents in the last week show that showing the stand-offish situation is changing, with Royal Dutch Shell and General Motors hooking up in the US and BP buying into a BMW-Daimler charging joint venture in Europe. — Michael Taylor, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2021 Off fans will also find a few cakes, including the show-offish Swedish Prinsesstårta. — Kate Krader, Bloomberg.com, 13 Nov. 2020 The plaza between the two buildings makes the complex feel open and welcoming, not overbearing or stand-offish. — Steven Litt, cleveland, 4 Oct. 2020 Most of the mentor-teacher characters in kung fu films are extremely stand-offish and intimidating. — Clark Collis, EW.com, 1 July 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for offish
  1. distant
  2. detached
  3. cold
  4. cool
  5. dry
  6. reserved
  7. aloof
  8. withdrawn
Adjective
  • The new series is based on the 1989-91 manage of the same name and takes place in the distant future (well, 2029) in a futuristic Japan replete with elite cyborgs, tactical anti-terrorism forces and mysterious hackers.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 12 July 2026
  • The brightest things in the picture—that bit of blue heaven and the red-and-white house across the canal—are also the most distant.
    — Susan Tallman, The Atlantic, 11 July 2026
Definition of distant
Adjective
  • Or a pig’s leg lying off to the side, detached and jittering, could resemble Ted’s leg.
    — Will Mackin, New Yorker, 28 June 2026
  • They got approved for a mortgage on a £150,000 (about $198,441) two-bedroom, semi-detached house in Seaham, England.
    — Lexi Lane, PEOPLE, 20 June 2026
Definition of detached
Adjective
  • Keep your ride clean Over the life of owning a car, especially in colder areas, salt and road grime can dull paint and cause rust on the underbody of your vehicles, according to Consumer Reports.
    — Keith Laing, USA Today, 8 July 2026
  • The clinical home ecosystem has become the defining phrase of the 2025 to 2026 wellness spending cycle, as buyers stack cold plunges, red light beds and neurotech into serious at-home recovery setups.
    — Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 July 2026
Definition of cold
Adjective
  • The fabric feels cool against my skin and never sticks or clings, even on warmer nights.
    — Jeaneen Russell, PEOPLE, 6 July 2026
  • Of course, when training in heat and humidity, staying hydrated is critical as well as attempts to stay as cool as possible when training during hot temperatures.
    — Nicole Williams, AJC.com, 6 July 2026
Definition of cool
Adjective
  • Combine that with increasingly hotter and drier weather due to climate change, and forests in the Sierra Nevada are left with a ton of stuff that’s ready to burst into flames.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • Rubye was ten feet ahead, bent under the weight of a dry bag, in a cloud of black flies.
    — John Todd, Outdoor Life, 9 July 2026
Definition of dry
Adjective
  • An opportunity to benefit from FIFA’s litigious inconsistencies, which usually feel reserved for the A-list stars.
    — Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 7 July 2026
  • The American Express Platinum Card® comes with access to Amex Experiences, which gets you special access to presale, reserved and preferred tickets.
    — Ryley Amond, CNBC, 7 July 2026
Definition of reserved
Adjective
  • Her next film, 1941’s Two-Faced Woman, was an attempt by MGM to loosen up her famously aloof image.
    — JP Mangalindan, Entertainment Weekly, 9 July 2026
  • Frances Perkins was, by temperament, cool and aloof, even a bit boring.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 4 July 2026
Definition of aloof
Adjective
  • Without daily contact with peers, some children become more withdrawn, lonely or emotionally flat.
    — John Samuels, Forbes.com, 8 June 2026
  • Blatter also suggested that Infantino, like a lot of dictators, has started acting withdrawn.
    — Chris Jones, The Atlantic, 7 June 2026
Definition of withdrawn

Browse Nearby Words

offings
offish
off-key
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Cite this Entry

“Offish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offish. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

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