chicken out

British  

verb

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

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chicken out Idioms  

1. 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]

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Example Sentences

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 • Oct. 31, 2025

Murdaugh testified that he saw them around the same time he took a chicken out of the mouth of one of their dogs, Bubba, who had been chasing the chicken on their property.

From Washington Post • Feb. 23, 2023

And now Chelsi Stone is glad she didn’t chicken out.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 16, 2022

I didn’t just chicken out of it, so I am definitely proud of that.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2022

But the moment passed, and Howard brought a piece of chicken out to the yard and we tried to teach Wishbone to roll over, but all he wanted to do was eat that chicken.

From "Wish" by Barbara O'Connor