From icy stares to freezing cash, this engaging exploration promises to break the ice on commonly used cold idioms, revealing their unique meanings and adding warmth to your understanding of the English language.

Idioms for Cold
Cold as Ice
Meaning: To be extremely cold or emotionally distant.
In a Sentence: After the breakup, her ex-boyfriend was as cold as ice, refusing to acknowledge her presence.
Cold Feet
Meaning: To feel nervous or hesitant, especially before a significant event.
In a Sentence: Standing at the altar, he suddenly got cold feet and considered running away from the wedding.
Cold Shoulder
Meaning: To deliberately ignore or show indifference to someone.
In a Sentence: Despite reaching out for help, she received a cold shoulder from her colleagues during the project.
Stone-Cold
Meaning: Completely cold or without any warmth, often used to describe emotions or objects.
In a Sentence: The news of his betrayal left her feeling stone-cold, unable to comprehend the depth of the deception.
Cold Comfort
Meaning: A meager or insufficient consolation in a difficult situation.
In a Sentence: Receiving a small apology was cold comfort after the company’s major data breach.
Cold Sweat
Meaning: A sudden feeling of anxiety or fear that causes perspiration.
In a Sentence: As the deadline approached, he broke into a cold sweat, realizing he hadn’t started the project.
Catch One’s Death of Cold
Meaning: To become seriously ill due to exposure to cold weather.
In a Sentence: She forgot her coat on the snowy mountain, fearing she would catch her death of cold.
Blow Hot and Cold
Meaning: To express both approval and disapproval about something, often inconsistently.
In a Sentence: His unpredictable mood swings made it difficult to predict his stance; he could blow hot and cold on the same issue.
In Cold Blood
Meaning: To act with a complete lack of emotion or remorse, often associated with a crime.
In a Sentence: The ruthless killer murdered the victim in cold blood, leaving no trace of remorse.
Out in the Cold
Meaning: To be excluded or left uninformed about something.
In a Sentence: She felt out in the cold when her friends organized a surprise party without inviting her.
Cold Turkey
Meaning: To quit something abruptly and completely, usually referring to a habit like smoking or drinking.
In a Sentence: He decided to quit smoking cold turkey, tossing his cigarettes into the trash.
Cold Fish
Meaning: A person who is unresponsive or lacks warmth in their demeanor.
In a Sentence: Her new boss was a cold fish, rarely acknowledging the efforts of the team.
Cold-Hearted
Meaning: Lacking compassion or empathy, often used to describe a person.
In a Sentence: The cold-hearted decision to lay off employees left the entire staff in shock.
Cold War
Meaning: A state of political tension without direct military conflict between two nations.
In a Sentence: The Cold War era saw intense ideological rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union.
Cold Snap
Meaning: A sudden and brief period of cold weather.
In a Sentence: The unexpected cold snap caught everyone off guard, resulting in a flurry of snow.
Cold Enough to Freeze the Balls off a Brass Monkey
Meaning: Extremely cold weather.
In a Sentence: The wind was so biting that day; it was cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey.
Leave Someone Out in the Cold
Meaning: To exclude or neglect someone, leaving them feeling abandoned.
In a Sentence: Her colleagues deliberately left her out in the cold during the team-building activities.
Cold Hands, Warm Heart
Meaning: A person may be reserved or distant outwardly but still have a kind and loving nature.
In a Sentence: Despite his aloof demeanor, his friends believed in the saying – cold hands, warm heart.
Left Out in the Cold
Meaning: To be neglected or ignored, especially in a social or professional setting.
In a Sentence: When the promotion was announced, she realized she had been left out in the cold once again.
Cold Light of Day
Meaning: In the clear and harsh reality of daylight.
In a Sentence: The elaborate plans seemed less appealing in the cold light of day, prompting a reassessment.
Go Down Like a Lead Balloon
Meaning: To be poorly received or fail miserably.
In a Sentence: His attempt at humor during the meeting went down like a lead balloon, resulting in awkward silence.
Cold Cash
Meaning: Payment made in cash, typically for immediate transactions.
In a Sentence: The antique dealer preferred cold cash for the rare collectible items.
Cold Trail
Meaning: To lose or fail to find a trail or clues.
In a Sentence: The detective hit a dead end and found himself on a cold trail, unable to solve the mystery.
Break the Ice
Meaning: To initiate a conversation or interaction in a social setting.
In a Sentence: His witty jokes helped break the ice at the awkward family gathering.
Cold Spell
Meaning: A prolonged period of unusually cold weather.
In a Sentence: The town endured a severe cold spell, with temperatures plummeting to record lows.
Blow Cold
Meaning: To express disapproval or hostility.
In a Sentence: Her father’s stern expression made it clear that he would blow cold if she disobeyed the rules.
Stone-Cold Sober
Meaning: Completely sober, without any influence of alcohol or drugs.
In a Sentence: After a night of celebration, he had to drive home stone-cold sober to ensure everyone’s safety.
Cut Someone Dead
Meaning: To ignore or snub someone intentionally.
In a Sentence: At the party, she decided to cut him dead, still upset about their previous argument.
Summary
Idiom | Meaning | Example Sentence |
---|---|---|
Cold as Ice | Extremely cold or emotionally distant | After the breakup, her ex-boyfriend was as cold as ice. |
Cold Feet | Nervous or hesitant, especially before a significant event | Standing at the altar, he suddenly got cold feet and considered running away from the wedding. |
Cold Shoulder | Deliberately ignoring or showing indifference to someone | Despite reaching out for help, she received a cold shoulder from her colleagues during the project. |
Stone-Cold | Completely cold or without any warmth, often used to describe emotions or objects | The news of his betrayal left her feeling stone-cold, unable to comprehend the depth of the deception. |
Cold Comfort | Meager or insufficient consolation in a difficult situation | Receiving a small apology was cold comfort after the company’s major data breach. |
Cold Sweat | Sudden feeling of anxiety or fear that causes perspiration | As the deadline approached, he broke into a cold sweat, realizing he hadn’t started the project. |
Catch One’s Death of Cold | Become seriously ill due to exposure to cold weather | She forgot her coat on the snowy mountain, fearing she would catch her death of cold. |
Blow Hot and Cold | Expressing both approval and disapproval about something, often inconsistently | His unpredictable mood swings made it difficult to predict his stance; he could blow hot and cold on the same issue. |
In Cold Blood | Acting with a complete lack of emotion or remorse, often associated with a crime | The ruthless killer murdered the victim in cold blood, leaving no trace of remorse. |
Out in the Cold | Being excluded or left uninformed about something | She felt out in the cold when her friends organized a surprise party without inviting her. |
Cold Turkey | Quitting something abruptly and completely, usually referring to a habit like smoking or drinking | He decided to quit smoking cold turkey, tossing his cigarettes into the trash. |
Cold Fish | Person who is unresponsive or lacks warmth in their demeanor | Her new boss was a cold fish, rarely acknowledging the efforts of the team. |
Cold-Hearted | Lacking compassion or empathy, often used to describe a person | The cold-hearted decision to lay off employees left the entire staff in shock. |
Cold War | State of political tension without direct military conflict between two nations | The Cold War era saw intense ideological rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union. |
Cold Snap | Sudden and brief period of cold weather | The unexpected cold snap caught everyone off guard, resulting in a flurry of snow. |
Cold Enough to Freeze the Balls off a Brass Monkey | Extremely cold weather | The wind was so biting that day; it was cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey. |
Leave Someone Out in the Cold | Exclude or neglect someone, leaving them feeling abandoned | Her colleagues deliberately left her out in the cold during the team-building activities. |
Cold Hands, Warm Heart | Person may be reserved outwardly but still have a kind and loving nature | Despite his aloof demeanor, his friends believed in the saying – cold hands, warm heart. |
Left Out in the Cold | Neglected or ignored, especially in a social or professional setting | When the promotion was announced, she realized she had been left out in the cold once again. |
Cold Light of Day | In the clear and harsh reality of daylight | The elaborate plans seemed less appealing in the cold light of day, prompting a reassessment. |
Go Down Like a Lead Balloon | Poorly received or fail miserably | His attempt at humor during the meeting went down like a lead balloon, resulting in awkward silence. |
Cold Cash | Payment made in cash, typically for immediate transactions | The antique dealer preferred cold cash for the rare collectible items. |
Cold Trail | Lose or fail to find a trail or clues | The detective hit a dead end and found himself on a cold trail, unable to solve the mystery. |
Break the Ice | Initiate a conversation or interaction in a social setting | His witty jokes helped break the ice at the awkward family gathering. |
Cold Spell | Prolonged period of unusually cold weather | The town endured a severe cold spell, with temperatures plummeting to record lows. |
Blow Cold | Express disapproval or hostility | Her father’s stern expression made it clear that he would blow cold if she disobeyed the rules. |
Stone-Cold Sober | Completely sober, without any influence of alcohol or drugs | After a night of celebration, he had to drive home stone-cold sober to ensure everyone’s safety. |
Cut Someone Dead | Ignore or snub someone intentionally | At the party, she decided to cut him dead, still upset about their previous argument. |
Conclusion
As we wrap up our exploration into the frigid world of cold idioms, it’s clear that the English language is rich with expressions that capture the various facets of coldness, both literal and metaphorical.