Phrase guide

cold as charity

adj · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

adj

Meaning 1

Very cold, whether in temperature or in demeanour.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: humorous, not-comparable, rare

Qualifier: simile

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

An ironic reference to the cold-hearted nature of much so-called charity, which should naturally be warm.