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
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Placing in a distant second was Trump Jr., with 12%.—
Brendan Rascius,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2025
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To be clear: The consumer version of a psychiatric BCI like Inner Cosmos’ Digital Pill may be just as distant or hypothetical as any other BCI.—
Naveen Rao,
Forbes.com,
2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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In addition to the main floor porch, the property has a large detached deck close to shore for waterside entertaining. Take a look around...—
Audrey Kennedy,
Axios,
17 Jan. 2025
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The property comes with a detached garage with a stylish glass garage door and a car charger.—
David Caraccio,
Sacbee.com,
29 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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This oral rinse provides relief from tooth pain and discomfort triggered by cold, heat, acids, sweets or contact.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Apr. 2025
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Lopez has been seen out in New York a lot lately, and while the weather has been cold for spring, there’s still a lot going on for her, especially in the theatre world.—
Aamina Inayat Khan,
StyleCaster,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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If the planet becomes cool enough and hydrogen and water separate early in its evolution, Gupta says a supercritical layer of water could form beneath the hydrogen atmosphere — thereby shedding new light on how planets with liquid water oceans could exist.—
Victoria Corless,
Space.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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There are 11 pockets, including five cooler beverage pockets to keep your drinks cold and a customizable ball pocket that’ll keep all your golf balls safe.—
Christopher Murray,
FOXNews.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Warmer temperatures in Kansas City’s forecast After the rain, the Kansas City area will enter a quiet, dry period as temperatures warm into the weekend.—
Robert A. Cronkleton,
Kansas City Star,
9 Apr. 2025
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Gentle moisturizers: Your skin might feel dry, tight, and flaky, especially when the rash starts to scab.—
Alisa Hrustic,
SELF,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Without trust, teams experience: • Communication Breakdowns: Team members become reserved and hesitant to provide feedback or voice concerns.—
Dr. Jennifer Bryant,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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At the start of episode 8, Cara, a reserved 29-year-old In-N-Out worker, had the cash in her box, while her bestie Samantha, a 41-year-old cop pretending to be a stay-at-home mom, had a clue that the secret millionaire was someone with two sisters.—
Jillian Sederholm,
EW.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Danielle then argues that Carolyn’s aloof demeanor is all an act, à la Columbo, meant to trick people into underestimating her.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
20 Feb. 2025
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Adichie’s protagonists are independent and deeply ambivalent, not so much aloof as detached, both from their love interests and from their own desires and aspirations.—
Tyler Austin Harper,
The Atlantic,
5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The withdrawn San Francisco drama, about lonely nonbinary nanny and restaurant server Cass (Asia Kate Dillon), is simple in its presentation, but disguises numerous layers to its story.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
17 Mar. 2025
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Jade and John told Dateline both had noticed their daughter was acting a bit withdrawn in the period leading up to her disappearance.—
Veronica Fulton,
NBC News,
12 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Offish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offish. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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