cold feet
/'kould'fi:t/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A sudden loss of nerve or confidence; timidity that prevents the continuation of a course of action: A state of fear, anxiety, or doubt that makes someone unwilling to proceed with a planned or promised action, especially a significant one.
Usage
- Cold feet is an uncountable noun phrase. It is almost always used with the verb "get" or "have" to describe the state of feeling nervous.
- The phrase is typically used in informal contexts to explain why someone withdrew from a commitment.
- Structure:
Examples
Advanced Usage
- "to give someone cold feet": to cause someone to feel nervous and reconsider their decision.
- All the talk about the risks gave him cold feet about the investment.
Variants and Related Words
- Cold-footed (adj, rare): Characterized by or experiencing cold feet.
- The cold-footed investor pulled out of the deal.
Synonyms
- Cold feet is an idiom. Its meaning can be described by phrases like:
- Loss of nerve: A failure of courage.
- Second thoughts: Doubts about a decision one has made.
- Cold feet is more specific than "fear" or "anxiety," as it implies a direct link to abandoning a plan.
Related Idioms
- To get/have butterflies in one's stomach: To feel nervous, but this does not necessarily imply backing out of a plan.
- She had butterflies before her performance, but she didn't get cold feet.
- To chicken out (informal, verb): To decide not to do something because of fear. This is a more direct and informal synonym for the action resulting from cold feet.
- He chickened out of the bungee jump. (This implies he got cold feet.)
Noun
- timidity that prevents the continuation of a course of action
- I was going to tell him but I got cold feet