A period of poor performance, bad luck, or consecutive failures, especially in sports or competitive activities. The opposite of a hot streak, suggesting a temporary downturn.
Also from gambling terminology, contrasting with 'hot streak' by using temperature metaphors. Cold suggests lack of energy, momentum, or the 'heat' of success, first appearing in sports writing in the early-to-mid 1900s.
Athletes often describe cold streaks as feeling like they've 'forgotten how to play,' even though their actual skills haven't changed. Sports psychologists note that cold streaks are often more mental than physical - the fear of continuing the streak can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
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