standoffish

adjective

stand-ˈȯ-fish How to pronounce standoffish (audio)
Definition of standoffishnext
as in distant
having or showing a lack of friendliness or interest in others she proved to be simply shy, not standoffish

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 standoffish This creates a mini-crisis until he gets replaced by Matt (Chosen Jacobs), a bit of a standoffish kid who now must step up. — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 23 Mar. 2026 Over the past two months, Searles-Harris had become increasingly standoffish and withdrawn, his neighbor Jimmy Smith told CNN Wednesday. — Maria Aguilar Prieto, CNN Money, 4 June 2026 New Yorkers have long been known for their cold, standoffish reputation, but for at least 24 hours each fashion week, the Chinese-American designer softens the city, coloring it in cherry blossom hues and delicate lace appliques. — Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 18 Feb. 2026 While the past ten months have grown other characters’ confidence — Whitaker and Javadi both seem more comfortable in the ER on this Fourth of July weekend — Robby is now paranoid and standoffish, especially in the face of his replacement. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for standoffish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for standoffish
  1. distant
  2. detached
  3. cold
  4. aloof
  5. cool
  6. reserved
  7. withdrawn
Adjective
  • As the Coast Starlight approaches the Bay Area, the train glides past marshlands, open water, and distant city skylines before continuing toward California’s Central Coast.
    — Abby Price, Travel + Leisure, 4 July 2026
  • They were received by distant unknown relatives and made their way to Kensington, Illinois, a railroad community on Chicago’s South Side, historically tied to Calumet Junction and the industrial economy that helped shape the region.
    — Phil Kafarakis, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
Definition of distant
Adjective
  • Or a pig’s leg lying off to the side, detached and jittering, could resemble Ted’s leg.
    — Will Mackin, New Yorker, 28 June 2026
  • They got approved for a mortgage on a £150,000 (about $198,441) two-bedroom, semi-detached house in Seaham, England.
    — Lexi Lane, PEOPLE, 20 June 2026
Definition of detached
Adjective
  • Next to him, the waters of Lincoln’s Sinking Spring still ran cold.
    — Chris Kenning, USA Today, 2 July 2026
  • If time doesn’t allow for spa treatments, a morning swim in the indoor pool accompanied by a sauna and cold plunge in one of their two thermal suites might suffice.
    — Katie Kelly Bell, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of cold
Adjective
  • Frances Perkins was, by temperament, cool and aloof, even a bit boring.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 4 July 2026
  • Tired of trying to come off cool and aloof on dates?
    — Charles Trepany, USA Today, 29 June 2026
Definition of aloof
Adjective
  • The fabric feels cool against my skin and never sticks or clings, even on warmer nights.
    — Jeaneen Russell, PEOPLE, 6 July 2026
  • Of course, when training in heat and humidity, staying hydrated is critical as well as attempts to stay as cool as possible when training during hot temperatures.
    — Nicole Williams, AJC.com, 6 July 2026
Definition of cool
Adjective
  • Serena’s name was on everyone’s lips, with fans chatting about the American’s chances and journalists jostling for position to get their hands on a reserved media seat.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 30 June 2026
  • The canopy area featured reserved seating that was blocked off with more seats for fans to sit and watch the game in the shade.
    — Cal Phillips June 30, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 June 2026
Definition of reserved
Adjective
  • Without daily contact with peers, some children become more withdrawn, lonely or emotionally flat.
    — John Samuels, Forbes.com, 8 June 2026
  • Blatter also suggested that Infantino, like a lot of dictators, has started acting withdrawn.
    — Chris Jones, The Atlantic, 7 June 2026
Definition of withdrawn

Browse Nearby Words

stand off
standoffish
standoffs
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Standoffish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/standoffish. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on standoffish

Nglish: Translation of standoffish for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All