to quail at

Examples

• All

• "The Minds had never spoken to anyone else but me, and for all their intellectual might, they still quailed at the thought of dealing directly with anyone else.

  Fiction book (1998)

• His heart quailed at the thought of asking the eagle.

  Fiction book (1993)

• Mallory would, too, but she quailed at the thought of talking to him.

  Fiction book (2001)

• I quailed at the thought of exiting the world exactly as I'd entered: fat, bald, and blank.

  Fiction book (1993)

• "And what modern administrator will not quail at the bluntness of this ad?" Director of Development -- this interesting position at a girls' boarding school will be open in June 1962, to a qualified woman who can type accurately.

  Academic text (2006)

• I have a horror of looking stupid, and my self-conscious sensibilities quailed at the thought of being overheard in my incompetence by the other patrons.

  Blog text (14)

• She quailed at the idea of speaking in front of a large audience.

• As the storm approached, many residents quailed at the prospect of flooding.

Synonyms

A

to apprehend

vsto quail at

• Formal

2 7.0

To feel worried about something that may happen

focuses on dread at the thought rather than just expecting with fear

Q

to quail

vsto quail at

• Formal

1 8.6

To feel afraid and move back from something

adds the idea of anticipating something with dread rather than general fear

C

to cower at

vsto quail at

1 7.2

To move back and make your body smaller because you are afraid of something

is more about fearing beforehand rather than physical withdrawal

Antonyms

F

to face

∞ 2.2

To deal with a difficult situation or person

How Fearful

to panic

272 2.3

to dread

149 4.8

to quail at

1 9.9

to fear

∞ 1.0

to shudder

85 3.7

to worry about

∞ 2.0

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology