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Glite Dictionary
to throw cold water on

to throw cold water on

2 7.4
Make people less excited about an idea or plan by saying bad things about it
  • phrasal verb
  • Informal
translation icon : desanimar
  • The manager threw cold water on the proposal, saying it wouldn't fit the budget.
  • throw cold water on the idea

Examples

  • Kelly always throws cold water on new ideas, deflating the team's enthusiasm.

  • Yesterday, Tanier threw cold water on the idea that Chip Kelly is going to be the next great NFL coach.

    Blog text (30)

  • Recent research has thrown cold water on this claim.

    Blog text (10)

  • I talked to the president about it because I threw cold water on his commission idea.

    Blog text (15)

  • "Of course, the sight of you threw cold water on that.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • Didn't I throw cold water on your party.

    The inbreaker (1974)

  • Our surveys also throw cold water on the conventional wisdom about Russian thinking on law and order.

    Academic text (2001)

  • Mormons really have a problem when they begin to study the history of Mormonism, and it throws cold water on their testimony.

    Blog text (26)

  • Across the kitchen table, she sent him a telepathic message, pleading with him not to throw cold water on Dan's heroic and fragile enthusiasm.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • Nate Silver has been catching heat all week for throwing cold water on GOP delusion by, more or less, averaging state polls.

    Blog text (15)

Synonyms

to chill
vsto throw cold water on
148 7.2

To make people feel afraid or less enthusiastic

usually criticizes ideas to reduce enthusiasm, not to cause fear
to put a damper on
vsto throw cold water on
  • Informal
11 5.8

Make something less fun or exciting

focuses on criticizing ideas to lower enthusiasm, not just reducing enjoyment
to dampen spirits
vsto throw cold water on
2 4.9

Make someone feel less happy and excited

aims at criticizing ideas to discourage interest rather than lowering mood
to pour cold water on
vsto throw cold water on
  • Informal
1 7.4

Make someone feel less excited about an idea or plan

is more about general discouragement rather than highlighting doubt
to pour cold water
vsto throw cold water on
  • Informal
1 7.4

To say things that make people less excited about a plan

tends to criticize more directly as well as reduce excitement

Antonyms

to encourage
∞ 2.3

Give someone support and confidence so they try or keep doing something

to promote
566 3.2

Help something grow and become more successful

How Discouraging

to throw cold water on
  • Informal
2 7.4
to discourage
257 3.5
to criticize
701 3.3

Surface Forms

throw cold water on infinitive
throwing cold water on present participle
throws cold water on third person singular
threw cold water on past
thrown cold water on past participle

Morphology

throw + cold + water + on

The phrase invokes a clear physical image — throwing/pouring cold water dampens and cools something — which maps onto the idea of reducing enthusiasm, so a learner who knows the constituents can often infer the general sense. However, the expression functions as a conventionalized idiom with a specific pragmatic use (criticize or discourage), so the exact usage and nuance are not fully predictable from the parts alone.

Etymology

Throw cold water on comes from the image of someone literally pouring cold water over a fire or an excited group to cool things down and stop the excitement. So, to throw cold water on an idea means 'to discourage or make people less excited'.