Synonyms

chicken out

British

verb

informal (intr, adverb) to fail to do something through fear or lack of conviction

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

chicken out Idioms

Back out from fear, lose one's nerve, as in In the end I chickened out and took the easier route down the mountain. Chicken is a popular synonym for “cowardly,” a usage arising in the 1600s and 1700s but then apparently abandoned until the 20th century. [Slang; c. 1930]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

His old tail started thumping the ground, then he opened his mouth and let out a bawl that scared the chickens out of the barn.

From Literature

Whenever I forget to take the chicken out of the freezer, she lectures me—and then proceeds to prosecute me for forgetting to turn in my language arts essay.

From Literature

Talking to the only other couple who managed not to chicken out like we did, I’ll never forget the looks on their faces when they learned we’d left in the midnight hour.

From Salon

But he chickens out at the last minute, not realizing their relationship is strained and it is the best shot he’d ever have.

From New York Times

“I hope this data helps people not chicken out — like, just go through the front door. It’s not that hard.”

From Salon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023