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Glite Dictionary
to chicken out

to chicken out

42 6.2
Decide not to do something difficult or risky because you are afraid
  • phrasal verb
  • Informal
translation icon : acobardarse
  • She decided to chicken out of the hiking trip when she saw the storm clouds.
  • going to chicken out
  • thought you chickened out
  • chicken out now

So when I go blonde if I don't chicken out this might come in handy.

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Examples

  • "Let's go before I chicken out," Jack said.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • - But Action Jackson chickened out.

    Ruby (1992)

  • You seriously gonna chicken out on me?

    Wrong Turn 4: Bloody Beginnings (2011)

  • I mean, think about it... why would I be here if I was going to chicken out?

    Bloodletting (1997)

  • But it would be worst of all to chicken out and not race at all.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • "Are you gonna chicken out after I invited you here?" she asked from the floor.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • If he looks into his own eyes, he might chicken out.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • You're not going to chicken out now, are you?

    Detroit Rock City (1999)

  • - You chickened out of that.

    Destination Love (2022)

  • We'd rather die trying than chicken out.

    Fiction book (1993)

Synonyms

to back off
vsto chicken out
  • Informal
356 2.8

Move away from someone, or stop taking part in something

is a deliberate avoidance of risky action caused by fear, not physical movement
to pull out
vsto chicken out
206 3.4

To stop being involved in an activity or agreement

is specifically a withdrawal caused by fear or lack of courage
to back down
vsto chicken out
107 3.7

To stop insisting because others oppose you

is a withdrawal caused by personal fear rather than outside pressure
to shy away from
vsto chicken out
41 4.6

Avoid doing something because you feel afraid or unsure

is a firm decision to quit due to fear rather than mild hesitation
to pussy out
vsto chicken out
  • Offensive
9 9.9

To back out of something because you feel afraid

is the milder informal phrase for the same fear-based avoidance
to be a wuss
vsto chicken out
  • Offensive
8 9.9

To be too afraid to do something

is a simple decision to not attempt something because of fear
to funk
vsto chicken out
  • Informal
6 8.6

To avoid doing something because you are afraid

is a specific decision to stop a risky action because of fear
to cop out
vsto chicken out
  • Informal
5 7.8

Avoid a task you should do by making an excuse

is motivated by fear or lack of courage rather than shirking duty
to fight shy of
vsto chicken out
  • UK
7.7

To avoid doing something because you do not want to try it

is a decisive refusal caused by fear rather than mere reluctance
to bug-out
vsto chicken out
  • Slang
8.8

To react suddenly with fear and lose control

is a decided avoidance due to fear rather than an immediate panic response

Antonyms

to face
∞ 2.2

To deal with a difficult situation or person

to persevere
22 5.1

Keep trying to do something even when it is hard

How Brave

volunteer
710 2.2
to try
∞ 1.0
to hesitate
318 2.5
to chicken out
  • Informal
42 6.2
to freeze
244 1.6

Surface Forms

chicken out infinitive
chickened out past
chickened out past participle
chickening out present participle
chickens out third person singular

Morphology

chicken + out

The noun 'chicken' (coward) plus the particle 'out' (withdraw/stop) yields a meaning of withdrawing because of fear that is fairly inferable from the parts. However, the construction relies on a metaphorical use of 'chicken' as a verb and the phrasal-verb pattern, so it is not purely compositional and may require some exposure to the idiomatic verb form.

Etymology

Chicken out comes from calling someone a chicken (a bird people think is easily scared) and the word out, which suggests stepping away. The picture is of a person acting like a frightened bird and leaving instead of going on, so it means 'to decide not to do something because you are afraid'.