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Cold Idioms
English blogVocabulary

10 Cold Idioms

3 min read

Cold Idioms and What They Mean

Cold weather brings snow, frost, and icy mornings, but many expressions that mention “cold” have nothing to do with temperature at all. These phrases are used to describe emotions, reactions, social situations, hesitation, and tense moments. Below is a collection of common cold idioms that bring extra color and character to everyday language.

Give someone the cold shoulder

Deliberately ignore someone.

After their argument, Mark gave Jenna the cold shoulder all week.
She tried to say hello, but he just walked past and gave her the cold shoulder.

A cold sweat

Fear or anxiety that causes sweating.

The thought of giving a speech in front of 200 people put him in a cold sweat.
She woke up in a cold sweat after dreaming she had missed her exam.

Get cold feet

Suddenly feel too nervous to do something.

He got cold feet right before the job interview and almost canceled it.
She planned to go skydiving, but she got cold feet at the last minute.

Leave someone out in the cold

Exclude someone from a group or decision.

The team made all the plans without him and left him out in the cold.
She felt left out in the cold when her friends didn’t invite her to the meeting.

Pour cold water on something

Discourage an idea or enthusiasm.

The manager poured cold water on our proposal by saying the budget was too small.
Everyone was excited about the event until bad weather forecasts poured cold water on the plans.

Cold as ice

Unfriendly or emotionless.

His response was cold as ice, even though she was trying to apologize.
The receptionist was cold as ice and barely said a word.

Freeze someone out

Deliberately exclude or ignore someone.

They froze him out of the project because he disagreed with the plan.
She felt frozen out when her coworkers stopped inviting her to lunch.

Give someone chills

Make someone feel uneasy or scared (or sometimes thrilled).

The abandoned house gave me chills as soon as I walked inside.
Her powerful singing gave the audience chills.

Send shivers down someone’s spine

Cause strong fear or excitement.

The horror movie’s ending sent shivers down my spine.
His speech about overcoming hardship sent shivers down everyone’s spine.

Catch a cold

Figurative meaning: Suffer a loss or setback.
Literal meaning: Become ill with a common cold.

Investors caught a cold when the market suddenly dropped. (Figurative)
She forgot her jacket and caught a cold after walking in the rain. (Literal)

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