cold-shoulder(常用作动词短语 to cold-shoulder sb):冷落、怠慢、故意不理睬某人(用冷淡态度表示不满或拒绝来往)。也可作名词短语 the cold shoulder,指“冷遇”。
/ˌkoʊld ˈʃoʊldər/
She felt hurt when her coworkers cold-shouldered her all week.
她感到很受伤,因为同事整整一周都在冷落她。
After the argument, he was cold-shouldered by old friends who didn’t want to take sides, which made the situation even lonelier.
争吵之后,一些老朋友不想站队,便对他很冷淡,这让他觉得更加孤独。
“the cold shoulder”原意与“肩膀”有关:一种常见解释是,过去在待客不周或表示不欢迎时,可能只拿出冷的肩胛肉(不够体面的部位)招待客人,借此传达冷淡与拒绝的态度。后来逐渐固定为“冷遇/冷落”的比喻说法,并发展出动词用法“cold-shoulder(某人)”。