chicken out
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Verb (intransitive):
- To withdraw from or fail to participate in a challenging, dangerous, or intimidating situation due to fear, nervousness, or a lack of courage. It implies a last-minute decision to avoid something one had previously agreed to or considered doing.
Usage
- This verb is used informally, often in a critical or self-deprecating tone, to describe a failure of nerve. It is typically followed by the preposition "of" when specifying the avoided activity.
- It describes a voluntary action of removing oneself from an obligation or plan.
Examples
- Verb:
- He was going to try bungee jumping, but he chickened out at the last moment.
- Don't chicken out of the presentation now; you've prepared so well for it.
- I said I would confront him, but I'm afraid I chickened out.
Advanced Usage
- "to chicken out of (something)": The most common construction, specifying the avoided event or action.
- She chickened out of the dare.
- The phrase often carries a connotation of disappointment or mild contempt, either from others or from oneself.
Variants and Related Words
- Chicken (noun, informal): A cowardly person.
- Don't be such a chicken!
- Chicken-hearted (adjective): Easily frightened; cowardly. (Less common)
Synonyms
- Back out: To withdraw from a commitment.
- Get cold feet: To suddenly become too frightened to do something one had planned to do.
- Bail out: To abandon a commitment or situation (informal).
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Bow out: To retire or withdraw gracefully from a situation. (More formal and less judgmental than "chicken out").
- He decided to bow out of the race due to a knee injury.
Related Idioms
- Lose one's nerve: To suddenly lose courage.
- He lost his nerve just before going on stage.
- Have a yellow streak: To be cowardly. (Archaic)
- Turn tail: To run away from danger or a confrontation.
Verb
- remove oneself from an obligation
- He bowed out when he heard how much work was involved