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balk at

[/bɔːk æt/]
verb
recusar-se a; hesitar diante de; relutar contra
1. to refuse or show reluctance to do something; to hesitate when faced with something difficult or unpleasant
She balked at the idea of moving to another country.
Ela relutou contra a ideia de se mudar para outro país.
2. to stop short and refuse to go on (often used with animals)
The horse balked at the jump.
O cavalo recusou-se a pular.
3. to reject or object to something
The committee balked at the proposed budget cuts.
A comissão rejeitou os cortes orçamentários propostos.
NYC Slang
pass on; not feeling it; ain't doing it
Synonyms
hesitate atrecoil fromshy away fromresistrefuseobject todemur at
Antonyms
acceptembracewelcomeagree toconsent to

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
recusar-se a; relutar contra
Most commonly used in Brazilian Portuguese
São Paulo
recusar-se; não querer
More informal usage in urban centers
Portugal
recear; rejeitar; oferecer resistência
Portuguese variant emphasizes fear or resistance

Related Idioms & Phrases

draw the line at
put one's foot down
take a stand against
dig in one's heels
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