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standoffish

/ˌˈstændˌɔfɪʃ/
/stændˈɒfɪʃ/
IPA guide

Someone who's standoffish is aloof or unfriendly. When you first meet someone, she might seem standoffish when really she's just shy.

A politician who appears standoffish will have more trouble getting elected than one who seems warm and likable. The adjective standoffish is a great informal word for describing people who are reserved or haughty or cold. Standoffish comes from a now obsolete meaning of the phrase stand off, "hold aloof."

Definitions of standoffish
  1. adjective
    lacking cordiality; unfriendly
    “a standoffish manner”
    synonyms: offish
    unapproachable
    discouraging intimacies; reserved
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