pour cold water on
pour/throw cold water on (something)
[informal]
if you pour cold water on opinions or ideas, you criticize them and stop people believing them or being excited about them.
Margaret Thatcher poured cold water on the idea of a European central bank.

throw cold water on (something)
to criticize or stop something that some people are enthusiastic about.
The proposal seemed reasonable enough, but authorities quickly threw cold water on it.

throw cold water on (something)
to criticize or stop something that some people are enthusiastic about.
The proposal seemed reasonable enough, but authorities quickly threw cold water on it.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

pour cold water on something
pour/throw cold water on (something)
[informal]
if you pour cold water on opinions or ideas, you criticize them and stop people believing them or being excited about them.
Margaret Thatcher poured cold water on the idea of a European central bank.

throw cold water on (something)
to criticize or stop something that some people are enthusiastic about.
The proposal seemed reasonable enough, but authorities quickly threw cold water on it.

throw cold water on (something)
to criticize or stop something that some people are enthusiastic about.
The proposal seemed reasonable enough, but authorities quickly threw cold water on it.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

pour cold water on
to discourage something
My boss poured cold water on my idea to change the time of our coffee breaks.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

pour cold water on something
to discourage something
My boss poured cold water on my idea to change the time of our coffee breaks.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

pour cold water on
See: THROW COLD WATER ON.
{v. phr.} To discourage; say or do something to discourage.
We had high hopes of victory but our opponents soon threw cold water on them.

Henry's father threw cold water on his plans to go to college by saying he could not afford it.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲