as in distant
having or showing a lack of friendliness or interest in others
she was consistently surly and offish with the would-be suitors who came calling
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Recent Examples of offish
Richard’s other big ally is undervalued and initially stand-offish plant engineer Clarence C. Baker (Dennis Haysbert), who eventually warms to Richard’s interest in his machines, and who encourages him to think big.
—
Peter Debruge, Variety, 11 Mar. 2023
Guzmán said the stereotype that Germans are stand-offish is way off the mark.
—Soudi Jiménezescritor, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2022
But announcements on two continents in the last week show that showing the stand-offish situation is changing, with Royal Dutch Shell and General Motors hooking up in the US and BP buying into a BMW-Daimler charging joint venture in Europe.
—Michael Taylor, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2021
Off fans will also find a few cakes, including the show-offish Swedish Prinsesstårta.
—Kate Krader, Bloomberg.com, 13 Nov. 2020
The plaza between the two buildings makes the complex feel open and welcoming, not overbearing or stand-offish.
—Steven Litt, cleveland, 4 Oct. 2020
Most of the mentor-teacher characters in kung fu films are extremely stand-offish and intimidating.
—Clark Collis, EW.com, 1 July 2020
Peter Debruge, Variety, 11 Mar. 2023
Guzmán said the stereotype that Germans are stand-offish is way off the mark.
—Soudi Jiménezescritor, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2022
But announcements on two continents in the last week show that showing the stand-offish situation is changing, with Royal Dutch Shell and General Motors hooking up in the US and BP buying into a BMW-Daimler charging joint venture in Europe.
—Michael Taylor, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2021
Off fans will also find a few cakes, including the show-offish Swedish Prinsesstårta.
—Kate Krader, Bloomberg.com, 13 Nov. 2020
The plaza between the two buildings makes the complex feel open and welcoming, not overbearing or stand-offish.
—Steven Litt, cleveland, 4 Oct. 2020
Most of the mentor-teacher characters in kung fu films are extremely stand-offish and intimidating.
—Clark Collis, EW.com, 1 July 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for offish
Adjective
-
Until recently, restoring meaningful vision for these patients was a distant dream.—
Shelli Brunswick,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
-
Eventually, technology allows these distant intimates to share a frame.—
Robert Abele,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2025
Adjective
-
Established in 1980, Channel Islands National Park consists of five islands — Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, San Miguel and more detached Santa Barbara — and the marine reserves which lie within 1 nautical mile of the group’s 175 miles of coastline.—
Paul Bersebach,
Oc Register,
4 June 2025
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Anderson built del Toro’s role around the actor, who repays him with a beauty of a performance, embodying the detached charisma of a morally dubious tycoon with cool ease.—
Lovia Gyarkye,
HollywoodReporter,
18 May 2025
Adjective
-
The October air was cold, the grass brown, but Emily’s face was hot and her breath fast.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2025
-
Marc: The beginning — when the titular character is crying, and then immediately switches from sobbing into the camera to being this cold and calculating person.—
Angelique Jackson,
Variety,
8 June 2025
Adjective
-
Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet to create an environment that supports restful sleep.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Health,
12 June 2025
-
With its ultralight, moisture-wicking material and breezy back vents, this Slack Tide Camp Shirt goes the extra mile to keep you cool.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
12 June 2025
Adjective
-
Strain out the ice then add the ingredients back to the shaker for a vigorous dry shake to help build a rich foam.—
Jillian Dara,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
-
Honey can also soothe those struggling with dry scalps or skin diseases such as eczema.—
Celeste Polanco,
Essence,
10 June 2025
Adjective
-
To serve, garnish with the reserved strawberry slices.—
Georgeanne Brennan,
Mercury News,
5 June 2025
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Related Stories John Oliver Compares HBO Max/Max Branding Fiasco to Trump's Renaming the Gulf of Mexico Ardant stars as Nathalie de Beauvillier, the manor’s reserved and eccentric lady, while Dequenne delivers one of her final screen performances as Odile, the spirited cook.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
4 June 2025
Adjective
-
He was obsessed with beautiful, coolly aloof women.—
Tom Gliatto,
People.com,
13 June 2025
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Yet each performance feels angled at a slightly different degree, one distinct acting turn making all the difference between a charming scoundrel, a depressed artist, a loyal sidekick, an aloof intellectual, or a precocious kid.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
12 June 2025
Adjective
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Hayk, a withdrawn and aloof child, lives on a farm with his aunt Narine and gets mocked and called strange by others.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
4 June 2025
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For children, especially, these stressors can quickly lead to meltdowns or withdrawn behavior.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Offish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offish. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
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