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

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

From Salon • Nov. 30, 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

I’m at my most powerful the moment I pull a perfect roast chicken out of the oven, and little makes me happier than sending my friends home full.

From New York Times • Oct. 13, 2021

He needed to get across to the platform, but he didn’t have any money, and if he thought about it one second longer, he’d chicken out.

From "Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story" by Nora Raleigh Baskin