cold fish

Definition of cold fishnext
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

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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 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 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
  • Alcohol messaging could focus on helping a lot of people drink less, instead of trying to get a few people to go cold turkey.
    — Isabella Cueto, STAT, 14 July 2026
  • How to Reset Caffeine Tolerance Without Crashing If cold turkey sounds brutal, taper.
    — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 13 June 2026
Noun
  • Unlike the traditional baked dish of littlenecks stuffed with bacon and breadcrumbs, Jimmy’s version comes as a bowl of thumbnail-sized Manila clams tossed with guanciale, compound butter and breadcrumbs.
    — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Forgo the salad and lean into Baja influences with clam and bottarga linguine or seafood puttanesca, and save room for an affogato.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The robot is about the size of a stick of chewing gum, with muscle cells attached to a flexible gel.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Inspectors also observed a dying adult cockroach on the floor nearby, two live adult cockroaches on a glue stick in a storage room, and a dead adult cockroach near the employee restroom entrance.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Like an iceberg, most of its mass lay hidden beneath the surface.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The species Cichorium intybus (the botanical name for chicory) includes the green stalky Catalogna; the pan di zucchero, which is the Italian equivalent of iceberg; and the gorgeous radicchio.
    — Tamar Adler, Vogue, 29 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Cold fish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cold%20fish. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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