Of persons. Distant or cold in demeanour; reserved; not affable, familiar, or encouraging; uncomplying, unwilling to accede to a request or desire…

Distant, reserved.

Of persons, their manners and actions: Rigorously observant of forms; precise; prim in attire; ceremonious. Chiefly in reproachful use: Unduly…

Showing no warm or friendly feeling; the reverse of cordial, affectionate or friendly.

Averse to freedom or familiarity of intercourse; distant, reserved, coy, cold.

Of a person or his or her demeanour, speech, etc.: devoid of feeling; unfriendly, hostile, forbidding. Cf. cold, adj. 8.

figurative. Stiff, ‘starched’, ‘stuck up’; that has a false appearance of strength.

Tending to repel a person by denial, coldness of manner, etc.

figurative. Stiff, formal; prim; = starchy, adj. 2. Of a person, a person's countenance, behaviour, etc. Also starched-up.

(un-, prefix1 affix 1.)

Formal, constrained, lacking ease or grace. Of bearing, manners, etc.: Unbending (expressing pride, coldness, displeasure, awkwardness, and the…

That withdraws (usually in intransitive senses); drawing back, retiring, receding.

Averse to showing familiarity; slow or reluctant to reveal emotion or opinions; cold or distant in… Of a person.

Lacking affection or warmth of feeling, often in a manner suggesting a (disproportionate) sense of one's own superiority; cold, unfriendly…

Exhibiting or demonstrating a lack of warmth of affection; not cordial, unfriendly. Cf. cold, adj. 8.

Not cordial; lacking in heartiness.

Not affable.

Restrained in behaviour, guarded, reserved.

Inclined to keep aloof; reserved, standoffish; (also) rebellious.

Cool, reserved, or unfriendly in manner; aloof, remote.

Of a person, a person's demeanour or behaviour, etc.: stiff, unbending; formal; prim; = starchy, adj. 2.

That creates a feeling of emotional distance or remoteness; that indicates or maintains emotional or (in early use) social aloofness.

Resembling a poker; esp. inclined to be stiff and unyielding in manner.

Stiffened with buckram; clad in buckram. Also figurative.

Lacking in social graces or suavity; awkward, stiff; prickly, unaccommodating.

Destitute of ease in bearing or manner. rare.

Characterized by or exhibiting a disinclination to be touched or interfered with; shrinking from contact; cold, aloof, stand-offish. Also in…

figurative. Of a person, a person's demeanour or behaviour, etc.: stiff, unbending; conventional, formal; prim, ‘stuck-up’. Also in extended use…

Distant and cold in manner; unfriendly, reserved, aloof.

Inclined to keep aloof; distant in manner; stand-offish.

having a very straight or stiff back; also figurative.

Distant and cold in manner; unfriendly, reserved, aloof; = standoffish, adj.

Rather stiff.

figurative. Void of, or adverse to, warmth of feeling.

That cannot be approached in confidence or intimacy.

Of the nature of a hedgehog; externally repellent; difficult to get on with.

colloquial. Of a person or his or her behaviour: difficult to cope with, awkward, uncooperative; tending to make difficulties (about or over…

hard-to-get: difficult to obtain; (also) aloof, unapproachable. Cf. to play hard to get at play, v. 28c.

Of a person, a person's behaviour, etc.: distant or cold in manner; standoffish. rare.

An idealized but unattainable woman.