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
The boy was quiet, even standoffish, when Steve Montgomery first met him 15 years ago.
—
Taylor Batten, Charlotte Observer, 13 Mar. 2026
Kirk is appealingly standoffish, if such a thing might be imagined.
—Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2026
Her brood includes peacocks, chickens, goats, horses, donkeys, and a new rescue rabbit named Bugsy who’s a bit standoffish.
—Emily Elias, Vogue, 15 Jan. 2026
Moscow’s standoffish stance last year was a wake-up call to Tehran’s leadership about the limits of its alliance with Putin — limits that were being seen today too, analysts said.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for standoffish
Taylor Batten, Charlotte Observer, 13 Mar. 2026
Kirk is appealingly standoffish, if such a thing might be imagined.
—Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2026
Her brood includes peacocks, chickens, goats, horses, donkeys, and a new rescue rabbit named Bugsy who’s a bit standoffish.
—Emily Elias, Vogue, 15 Jan. 2026
Moscow’s standoffish stance last year was a wake-up call to Tehran’s leadership about the limits of its alliance with Putin — limits that were being seen today too, analysts said.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for standoffish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for standoffish
Adjective
-
There was another cigar somewhere in his not-too-distant future.—
Barry Svrluga,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
-
With the intention of permanently moving the orbiter Discovery to California, the Air Force designed SLC-6 differently from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, most notably by stacking the vehicle directly on the pad rather than in a more distant assembly building.—
Robert Pearlman,
ArsTechnica,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
Olise has purposefully cultivated a kind of detached non-persona.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
-
Three children who were playing hide-and-seek spotted a cat floating on the surface of the water in the garden of an unoccupied semi-detached home.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
The perk here is that the material holds up to cold weather by stretching and expanding without breaking, requiring fewer repairs and resource use.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 June 2026
-
But there are ways of assessing it with cold hard figures, most notably the FIFA world rankings, which began in the 1990s as a way to assess the strength of international teams.—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
Cats are infamous for being aloof creatures.—
Madeline Gunderson,
USA Today,
12 June 2026
-
The design is still in progress, and while NJ Transit has joined Amtrak in shaping the latest proposal, the MTA remains sulkily aloof.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
Make sure the oven is completely cool before cleaning.—
Olivia McIntosh,
Martha Stewart,
13 June 2026
-
Nothing plays up dark mocha or cool raven hair like warm cinnamon balayage.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
13 June 2026
Adjective
-
In her early public appearances, she was often seen with her head bowed and her gaze upward, a posture that, alongside her soft-spoken demeanor, led the British press to characterize her as timid and reserved.—
Elle Meier,
InStyle,
13 June 2026
-
Also not helping matters is Center Rep’s rather reserved staging of the show.—
Charles Lewis III,
Mercury News,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
Blatter also suggested that Infantino, like a lot of dictators, has started acting withdrawn.—
Chris Jones,
The Atlantic,
7 June 2026
-
Patrick Stewart is also among those to have publicly discussed working with a withdrawn Hardy, who has also starred in The Dark Knight trilogy, Peaky Blinders and the Venom films.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Standoffish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/standoffish. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
