COLD FISH Synonyms: 14 Similar and Opposite Words

cold fish

noun

Definition of cold fish

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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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

Definition of cold turkey

Noun

The fallout has been steep, resulting in shredded nets, decimated clam beds and mussel stocks, and hundreds of shuttered fisheries along the Italian coast.

— Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 27 Aug. 2026
Imagine someone forgot a bowl of New England clam chowder in the back of a cloth-upholstered car during the height of a Florida summer.

— AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of clam

Noun

The Titanic sank to the bottom of the North Atlantic Ocean on April 14, 1912, after hitting an iceberg, taking with it approximately 1,500 passengers and crew members.

— Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 26 Aug. 2026
On a molecular level As an example of the distinction between energy and temperature, compare a cup of hot tea and an iceberg.

— Matthew Koss, The Conversation, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of iceberg

Browse Nearby Words

cold feet

cold fish

cold fishes

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“Cold fish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cold%20fish. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of cold fish

noun

Example Sentences

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