standoffish

adjective

stand-ˈȯ-fish How to pronounce standoffish (audio)
Definition of standoffishnext
as in distant
having or showing a lack of friendliness or interest in others she proved to be simply shy, not standoffish

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 standoffish This creates a mini-crisis until he gets replaced by Matt (Chosen Jacobs), a bit of a standoffish kid who now must step up. — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 23 Mar. 2026 The boy was quiet, even standoffish, when Steve Montgomery first met him 15 years ago. — Taylor Batten, Charlotte Observer, 13 Mar. 2026 New Yorkers have long been known for their cold, standoffish reputation, but for at least 24 hours each fashion week, the Chinese-American designer softens the city, coloring it in cherry blossom hues and delicate lace appliques. — Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 18 Feb. 2026 Kirk is appealingly standoffish, if such a thing might be imagined. — Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for standoffish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for standoffish
  1. distant
  2. detached
  3. cold
  4. aloof
  5. cool
  6. reserved
  7. withdrawn
Adjective
  • Nonlocality, whose experimental verification helped earn the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics, allows distant quantum systems to produce correlations that cannot be explained by classical physics alone.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 18 July 2026
  • That can change, but this is probably measured in decades, not years—and seems more distant today than in the recent past.
    — Philipp Carlsson-Szlezak, Fortune, 17 July 2026
Definition of distant
Adjective
  • Guests return year on year, generation on generation, making Coral Reef Club the perfect antidote to the detached, impersonal sheen of the modern chain resort.
    — Jonnie Bayfield, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of detached
Adjective
  • With the game clock frozen, Purple Reign’s offense went equally as cold.
    — Christian Marshall, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026
  • John Dillinger lay on a cold slab in the Cook County Morgue Monday.
    — Cassidy Alexander, AJC.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of cold
Adjective
  • Sources, who prefer to remain anonymous to protect relationships, recognise that Spence is an introverted character who can come across as quite aloof, and that this image may not help his cause in moments like these.
    — Elias Burke, New York Times, 15 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of aloof
Adjective
  • Phaedra pleads with Porsha to at least keep it cool at her birthday dinner that evening, but Porsha can’t even promise that.
    — Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 20 July 2026
  • If Spain keep cool, then Argentina run hot; a warm-blooded, emotional, often chaotic side where performances swing wildly within games, never mind from one match to the next.
    — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of cool
Adjective
  • The ArcLight helped pioneer premium modern multiplex features, including reclining stadium-style chairs, in-house gourmet dining and reserved seating.
    — Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 21 July 2026
  • May would shed her quiet and reserved manner, teaming up with strangers for tournaments.
    — Jo Yurcaba, NBC news, 18 July 2026
Definition of reserved
Adjective
  • The withdrawn earnings are taxed as ordinary income, the Treasury said.
    — Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 11 July 2026
  • Without daily contact with peers, some children become more withdrawn, lonely or emotionally flat.
    — John Samuels, Forbes.com, 8 June 2026
Definition of withdrawn

Browse Nearby Words

stand off
standoffish
standoffs
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Cite this Entry

“Standoffish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/standoffish. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of standoffish for Spanish Speakers

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