Sometimes in the USA, we use special phrases to describe how people act, feel, or even stop doing things. These phrases are called idioms. They don’t always mean what the words say. When you hear someone say they have “cold feet” or give someone the “cold shoulder,” they’re not talking about temperature. They’re using idioms.
This article shares idioms that include the word “cold.” These expressions are used across the country. Some talk about feelings. Others describe actions or moods. They help make language more colorful and fun. If you’re curious about what these phrases mean and how to use them in real life, you’re in the right place.
Idioms for Cold
1. Cold feet
Meaning: To be scared to do something at the last minute
Example Sentence:
• He got cold feet before the big game.
• She had cold feet before the spelling bee.
Other ways to say: Chicken out, back out
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from soldiers in the past saying they couldn’t fight because their feet were too cold
Usage: Used when someone backs out of doing something important
2. Cold shoulder
Meaning: To ignore someone on purpose
Example Sentence:
• She gave me the cold shoulder after our argument.
• He got the cold shoulder from his teammates.
Other ways to say: Ignore, brush off
Fun Fact/Origin: In old times, cold meat was served to guests who were not welcome
Usage: Used when someone doesn’t want to talk or be friendly
3. Cold turkey
Meaning: To stop something suddenly
Example Sentence:
• He quit candy cold turkey.
• She stopped playing video games cold turkey.
Other ways to say: Quit suddenly, stop at once
Fun Fact/Origin: Used in the 1920s to describe quitting smoking without help
Usage: Often used when someone quits a habit right away
4. In cold blood
Meaning: To do something cruel without feeling bad
Example Sentence:
• He yelled at her in cold blood.
• The villain acted in cold blood.
Other ways to say: Without pity, heartlessly
Fun Fact/Origin: Used to mean doing something without emotion
Usage: Used when someone does something mean or violent calmly
5. Cold-hearted
Meaning: Not caring about others’ feelings
Example Sentence:
• That was a cold-hearted thing to say.
• The movie villain was cold-hearted.
Other ways to say: Mean, uncaring
Fun Fact/Origin: Describes a person who acts like they don’t have a warm heart
Usage: Used when someone acts without kindness
6. Break out in a cold sweat
Meaning: To suddenly get very nervous or scared
Example Sentence:
• I broke out in a cold sweat before my test.
• He broke out in a cold sweat during the scary movie.
Other ways to say: Got really nervous, panicked
Fun Fact/Origin: Body reactions like sweating often come with fear
Usage: Used when something scary or stressful happens
7. Catch a cold
Meaning: To get sick with a cold
Example Sentence:
• I caught a cold after playing in the snow.
• He caught a cold from school.
Other ways to say: Get sick, come down with a cold
Fun Fact/Origin: Common phrase in American English when someone feels unwell
Usage: Used when someone gets sick with a runny nose or cough
8. Throw cold water on
Meaning: To say something that stops excitement
Example Sentence:
• She threw cold water on our fun idea.
• He threw cold water on the plan.
Other ways to say: Ruin the mood, bring down the excitement
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from putting out fires with water
Usage: Used when someone says something that ends the fun
9. Cold as ice
Meaning: Very unfriendly
Example Sentence:
• Her stare was cold as ice.
• He spoke with a voice cold as ice.
Other ways to say: Unkind, harsh
Fun Fact/Origin: Ice is very cold, just like some people act
Usage: Used to describe a person who shows no emotion
10. Left out in the cold
Meaning: To be ignored or not included
Example Sentence:
• He was left out in the cold during the game.
• She felt left out in the cold by her friends.
Other ways to say: Ignored, left behind
Fun Fact/Origin: Being in the cold means you’re not part of the group
Usage: Used when someone feels left out
11. Cold comfort
Meaning: A small or weak form of support
Example Sentence:
• His words were cold comfort after the loss.
• The prize was cold comfort after all the hard work.
Other ways to say: Not very helpful, small comfort
Fun Fact/Origin: Means comfort that doesn’t really make things better
Usage: Used when someone tries to help but it doesn’t really help
12. Cold fish
Meaning: A person who doesn’t show feelings
Example Sentence:
• He’s a cold fish, never smiles or laughs.
• She acted like a cold fish during the party.
Other ways to say: Distant person, no emotion
Fun Fact/Origin: Fish are cold and don’t show emotion—just like some people
Usage: Used to describe someone who’s not friendly or warm
13. Pour cold water on
Meaning: To say something that spoils excitement
Example Sentence:
• Dad poured cold water on our plans to stay up late.
• Her comment poured cold water on the celebration.
Other ways to say: Spoil the fun, bring down the mood
Fun Fact/Origin: Similar to “throw cold water on”
Usage: Used when someone ruins a happy moment
14. Get the cold shoulder
Meaning: To be ignored or treated badly
Example Sentence:
• He got the cold shoulder from his classmates.
• She gave me the cold shoulder for no reason.
Other ways to say: Ignored, frozen out
Fun Fact/Origin: Giving someone your shoulder instead of attention
Usage: Used when someone treats you like you don’t matter
15. Cold snap
Meaning: A short period of very cold weather
Example Sentence:
• A cold snap hit our town last night.
• We stayed inside during the cold snap.
Other ways to say: Cold spell, freeze
Fun Fact/Origin: “Snap” means something quick, so this means quick cold weather
Usage: Used when weather suddenly gets cold
16. Cold light of day
Meaning: When you realize something clearly after it’s over
Example Sentence:
• In the cold light of day, I saw my mistake.
• Things looked different in the cold light of day.
Other ways to say: After thinking clearly, with fresh eyes
Fun Fact/Origin: Seeing something in daylight helps you think better
Usage: Used when you realize something later on
17. Freeze out
Meaning: To push someone away or ignore them
Example Sentence:
• They froze him out of the game.
• She felt frozen out at the lunch table.
Other ways to say: Ignore, leave out
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from making someone stay out in the cold
Usage: Used when someone is left out on purpose
18. Give someone the chills
Meaning: To scare or creep someone out
Example Sentence:
• That movie gave me the chills.
• Her voice gave me the chills.
Other ways to say: Creep out, scare
Fun Fact/Origin: Fear can make your skin feel cold
Usage: Used when something is spooky or uncomfortable
19. Cool as a cucumber
Meaning: Very calm and relaxed
Example Sentence:
• She stayed cool as a cucumber during the test.
• He was cool as a cucumber on stage.
Other ways to say: Calm, relaxed
Fun Fact/Origin: Cucumbers are known to stay cool even in heat
Usage: Used when someone doesn’t get nervous
20. Out in the cold
Meaning: Left out or forgotten
Example Sentence:
• He was out in the cold when teams were picked.
• She felt out in the cold during the party.
Other ways to say: Left behind, not included
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the feeling of standing outside in winter
Usage: Used when someone feels left out
21. Stone cold
Meaning: Completely cold or without emotion
Example Sentence:
• The pizza was stone cold.
• He was stone cold during the meeting.
Other ways to say: Very cold, no feeling
Fun Fact/Origin: Stone is very cold—like the mood or item described
Usage: Used for food or people showing no emotion
22. Cold stare
Meaning: A mean or unfriendly look
Example Sentence:
• She gave me a cold stare.
• His cold stare made me nervous.
Other ways to say: Hard look, mean glare
Fun Fact/Origin: A stare that feels as cold as ice
Usage: Used when someone looks at you without warmth
23. Chill to the bone
Meaning: Very cold
Example Sentence:
• The wind chilled me to the bone.
• I was chilled to the bone after snowball fights.
Other ways to say: Freezing, very cold
Fun Fact/Origin: Describes cold that feels deep in your body
Usage: Used when the weather is super cold
24. Freeze up
Meaning: To stop working or stop talking because of fear
Example Sentence:
• I froze up during my speech.
• The computer froze up again.
Other ways to say: Stop, shut down
Fun Fact/Origin: People or machines can stop like they’re frozen
Usage: Used when someone stops talking or when things stop working
25. Cold hands, warm heart
Meaning: Someone who seems cold but is kind
Example Sentence:
• Don’t worry—he has cold hands but a warm heart.
• She may be quiet, but she’s caring.
Other ways to say: Quiet but kind, shy but sweet
Fun Fact/Origin: Old saying that reminds us not to judge by outside behavior
Usage: Used to describe quiet, kind people
26. Cool reception
Meaning: A not-so-friendly welcome
Example Sentence:
• He got a cool reception at the meeting.
• She received a cool reception from her classmates.
Other ways to say: Cold welcome, distant greeting
Fun Fact/Origin: A warm welcome is friendly; a cool one is not
Usage: Used when someone isn’t welcomed warmly
27. Break the ice
Meaning: To start talking or make people feel comfortable
Example Sentence:
• I told a joke to break the ice.
• Games help break the ice at new schools.
Other ways to say: Start a conversation, ease tension
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from ships breaking ice to travel
Usage: Used when helping people feel less shy
28. Cold case
Meaning: An old mystery that hasn’t been solved
Example Sentence:
• Police are still working on the cold case.
• The cold case was reopened last year.
Other ways to say: Unsolved mystery, old case
Fun Fact/Origin: “Cold” means no new clues
Usage: Used when a case goes unsolved for a long time
29. Ice in your veins
Meaning: To stay calm and brave in pressure
Example Sentence:
• He has ice in his veins during big games.
• She acted like she had ice in her veins when she spoke.
Other ways to say: Fearless, stays calm
Fun Fact/Origin: Used often in sports to praise cool players
Usage: Used for people who stay calm under pressure
30. Cold day in July
Meaning: Something that’s unlikely to happen
Example Sentence:
• He’ll apologize on a cold day in July.
• It’ll be a cold day in July before she changes her mind.
Other ways to say: Never, very unlikely
Fun Fact/Origin: July is usually hot in the USA
Usage: Used to talk about something that’s almost impossible
31. Chill out
Meaning: To relax or calm down
Example Sentence:
• Just chill out—it’s not a big deal.
• He told her to chill out before the test.
Other ways to say: Calm down, take it easy
Fun Fact/Origin: “Chill” means cool, and cool people are calm
Usage: Used when someone needs to relax
32. Give someone the cold facts
Meaning: To tell someone the truth plainly
Example Sentence:
• She gave me the cold facts about the project.
• He told the cold facts without sugarcoating.
Other ways to say: Be honest, tell it like it is
Fun Fact/Origin: “Cold” means without emotion
Usage: Used when telling the plain truth
33. Cold as a grave
Meaning: Extremely cold
Example Sentence:
• The wind was cold as a grave last night.
• His voice was cold as a grave.
Other ways to say: Freezing, very cold
Fun Fact/Origin: Graves are underground and chilly
Usage: Used for very cold places or cold feelings
34. Freeze one’s tail off
Meaning: To feel very cold
Example Sentence:
• I froze my tail off waiting for the bus.
• They froze their tails off at the football game.
Other ways to say: Freezing, super cold
Fun Fact/Origin: Funny way to say you’re cold
Usage: Used in casual talk to describe feeling cold
35. Snowed under
Meaning: To have too much to do
Example Sentence:
• I’m snowed under with homework.
• She was snowed under with chores.
Other ways to say: Busy, overwhelmed
Fun Fact/Origin: Feels like snow is piling on you
Usage: Used when someone has too many tasks
36. Put something on ice
Meaning: To delay or pause something
Example Sentence:
• They put the trip on ice until next year.
• The plan was put on ice for now.
Other ways to say: Postpone, delay
Fun Fact/Origin: Ice slows things down
Usage: Used when something is put off
37. Ice breaker
Meaning: Something that helps people relax and talk
Example Sentence:
• The teacher used an ice breaker to start class.
• Games are great ice breakers at parties.
Other ways to say: Conversation starter, relaxer
Fun Fact/Origin: Breaks the tension like breaking ice
Usage: Used to make people comfortable
38. Freeze the moment
Meaning: To remember something just as it is
Example Sentence:
• I wanted to freeze the moment of our first win.
• The photo helped freeze the moment forever.
Other ways to say: Save the memory, remember clearly
Fun Fact/Origin: Like taking a photo to freeze time
Usage: Used when you want to keep a memory
39. Cool down
Meaning: To calm down after anger
Example Sentence:
• Take a walk and cool down.
• He needed time to cool down after the fight.
Other ways to say: Calm down, relax
Fun Fact/Origin: Angry people are “hot”—cooling means calming
Usage: Used when someone needs to stop being upset
40. Ice-cold stare
Meaning: A very mean or unfriendly look
Example Sentence:
• He gave me an ice-cold stare.
• Her ice-cold stare made everyone quiet.
Other ways to say: Angry look, mean glare
Fun Fact/Origin: Ice-cold shows no warmth or care
Usage: Used to describe a cold expression
41. Cold reality
Meaning: The harsh truth
Example Sentence:
• Losing was the cold reality of the game.
• The cold reality is—we need more practice.
Other ways to say: Hard truth, facts
Fun Fact/Origin: Reality can feel cold and not fun
Usage: Used when facing the truth
42. Cold wind of change
Meaning: A change that is not pleasant
Example Sentence:
• The cold wind of change hit the company hard.
• They felt the cold wind of change at school.
Other ways to say: Tough change, big shift
Fun Fact/Origin: Change can feel rough like cold wind
Usage: Used when change is hard or unwelcome
43. Be left cold
Meaning: Not excited by something
Example Sentence:
• That movie left me cold.
• I was left cold by his speech.
Other ways to say: Not impressed, uninterested
Fun Fact/Origin: “Cold” shows no emotional spark
Usage: Used when something doesn’t excite you
44. Cold comfort farm
Meaning: A place or situation that’s not really comforting
Example Sentence:
• It felt like a cold comfort farm after the storm.
• The hotel was a cold comfort farm.
Other ways to say: Not helpful place, disappointing
Fun Fact/Origin: Also the title of a book
Usage: Used for places or things that don’t help much
45. Freeze in your tracks
Meaning: To stop suddenly from shock
Example Sentence:
• I froze in my tracks when I saw the bear.
• She froze in her tracks after the loud noise.
Other ways to say: Stop still, pause suddenly
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from animals freezing in fear
Usage: Used when someone suddenly stops
46. Cold blaze
Meaning: A fire or anger that burns with no warmth
Example Sentence:
• His cold blaze showed he was angry but calm.
• She had a cold blaze in her eyes.
Other ways to say: Silent anger, hidden fire
Fun Fact/Origin: Blaze is hot, but this one isn’t warm
Usage: Used when someone’s mad but quiet
47. Cold iron
Meaning: Strong but without warmth or kindness
Example Sentence:
• His rules were like cold iron.
• The cold iron of the prison scared him.
Other ways to say: Harsh rule, strict feeling
Fun Fact/Origin: Iron is hard and cold, like strict control
Usage: Used to describe firm, uncaring things
48. Cold snap decision
Meaning: A choice made quickly and without much care
Example Sentence:
• It was a cold snap decision to cancel the trip.
• His cold snap decision upset the team.
Other ways to say: Quick choice, rash decision
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from mixing “cold snap” and decision
Usage: Used when choices are made too fast
49. Cold logic
Meaning: Thinking without emotion
Example Sentence:
• He used cold logic to solve the problem.
• Her cold logic didn’t help our feelings.
Other ways to say: Only facts, no emotion
Fun Fact/Origin: Logic is about facts—cold logic means no heart
Usage: Used when someone thinks without caring
50. Cold breath
Meaning: A sign of fear or chill
Example Sentence:
• He felt a cold breath on his neck in the dark.
• A cold breath of air came through the window.
Other ways to say: Chill, scare
Fun Fact/Origin: Breath that’s cold often feels scary
Usage: Used in scary or winter moments
Quiz: Idioms for Cold
Instructions: Choose the best meaning for each cold idiom. Pick the answer that makes the most sense. There is only one correct answer for each.
Question Key
1. What does “cold feet” mean?
A) Your feet are freezing
B) You are scared to do something
C) You stepped in snow
2. What does “cold shoulder” mean?
A) A sore shoulder
B) A cold breeze
C) Ignoring someone on purpose
3. What does “cold turkey” mean?
A) A frozen bird
B) Stop something suddenly
C) A meal served cold
4. If someone is “cold-hearted,” they are:
A) Very caring
B) Not kind or warm
C) Feeling cold
5. What does “throw cold water on” mean?
A) Splash someone
B) End someone’s excitement
C) Cool something down
6. If someone is a “cold fish,” they are:
A) Funny and wild
B) Warm and friendly
C) Not very friendly
7. If a person “breaks out in a cold sweat,” they are likely:
A) Very tired
B) Feeling scared or nervous
C) Exercising
8. “Left out in the cold” means:
A) Left outside
B) Not included
C) Waiting for someone
9. What is a “cold snap”?
A) A quick cold wind
B) A short cold period
C) A snapping turtle
10. What does “cool as a cucumber” mean?
A) Hungry
B) Very calm
C) Cold
11. “Freeze up” means:
A) Turn into ice
B) Stop because of fear
C) Get warmer
12. If someone “chills out,” they are:
A) Going to sleep
B) Cooling food
C) Relaxing
13. What is a “cold case”?
A) A broken fridge
B) An old, unsolved case
C) A cold lunchbox
14. What does “put something on ice” mean?
A) Freeze it
B) Hide it
C) Delay or stop it for now
15. What does “snowed under” mean?
A) Caught in snow
B) Covered with work
C) Lost in a snowball fight
16. “Cold comfort” means:
A) Something that doesn’t help much
B) A warm hug
C) Staying in bed
17. “Cold stare” means:
A) A warm smile
B) A hard or mean look
C) Looking at cold things
18. What does “break the ice” mean?
A) Melt something
B) Say hello and start talking
C) Trip and fall
19. “Give someone the chills” means:
A) To hand them ice
B) To make them laugh
C) To scare or creep them out
20. “In cold blood” means:
A) Done without emotion
B) While freezing
C) When you’re sick
Answer Key
- B – You are scared to do something
- C – Ignoring someone on purpose
- B – Stop something suddenly
- B – Not kind or warm
- B – End someone’s excitement
- C – Not very friendly
- B – Feeling scared or nervous
- B – Not included
- B – A short cold period
- B – Very calm
- B – Stop because of fear
- C – Relaxing
- B – An old, unsolved case
- C – Delay or stop it for now
- B – Covered with work
- A – Something that doesn’t help much
- B – A hard or mean look
- B – Say hello and start talking
- C – To scare or creep them out
- A – Done without emotion
Wrapping Up
Cold idioms are fun and useful. In the USA, people often use them to talk about feelings, actions, and situations. They help us say things in a short, clever way. Whether it’s “cold feet” or “cold shoulder,” these phrases make conversations more colorful.
Now you know 50 cold-related idioms and how to use them. Try listening for them in shows, books, or daily talk. You’ll be surprised how often they pop up. Understanding idioms makes speaking and writing better—and a little more fun too.
