Cold-shouldering

The act of intentionally ignoring or shunning someone, often as a means of expressing disapproval or disdain. It can manifest in social situations where an individual refuses to acknowledge another person’s presence or contributions, thereby inducing feelings of exclusion or embarrassment for the one being cold-shouldered.

Cold-shouldering meaning with examples

• During the meeting, Sarah felt the impact of cold-shouldering when her team members chose to discuss a project without acknowledging her earlier contributions, making her feel invisible in what should have been a collaborative effort.
• After their recent disagreement, Mark decided to cold-shoulder Ruth at work, choosing to communicate only through emails and avoiding any personal conversations, which escalated the tension between them significantly.
• At the reunion, John noticed that several of his old friends were cold-shouldering him, ignoring his attempts to engage in conversation, which left him questioning why they were suddenly distant after years of close friendship.
• The artist felt the sting of cold-shouldering when critics dismissed her latest exhibition, refusing to engage with her work even as she stood by, eager for constructive feedback about her artistic evolution.
• In the group project, Tom was cold-shouldered by his classmates, who excluded him from discussions and made decisions without his input, which ultimately affected the dynamic and quality of their collaborative work.