standoffish

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

As Divine Eye, Maclin anchors the fact-based film as a gruff, standoffish inhabitant of the New York maximum-security prison, who finds a surprising calling through theater workshops and live performance.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 26, 2024

Over the course of seven years, we saw them morph from standoffish children — often bullied because of the complexion of their skin — to two young, confident leaders.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 4, 2023

At a 1988 talk, the journalist Paul Goldberger asked Portman about the standoffish design of his Times Square Marriott Marquis.

From Slate • Jul. 28, 2023

It was an unnatural fit on paper — the sometimes standoffish candidate with few initial ties to Tallahassee and the genial consultant who had helped elect the man he hoped to succeed.

From New York Times • Apr. 18, 2023

But the older woman did not have that old standoffish expression, did not speak stiffly with her eyes focused somewhere between Olanna’s face and the hand-carved paneling.

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie