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chicken out

[ˈtʃɪkən aʊt]
verb (phrasal verb)
desistir por medo; ficar com medo; recuar
1. to fail to do something because of fear or lack of courage; to lose one's nerve at the last moment
He was supposed to jump off the diving board but he chickened out at the last second.
Ele deveria pular do trampolim, mas desistiu de medo no último segundo.
2. to back out of a commitment or challenge due to cowardice
Don't chicken out on me now; we made a deal!
Não me deixe na mão agora; nós fizemos um acordo!
NYC Slang
punk out; bitch out
Synonyms
back outwimp outlose one's nerveget cold feetbail out
Antonyms
go through withfollow throughstand firmbrave itface one's fears

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
desistir por medo; ficar com medo
Most common usage across Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
cagar para; perder a coragem
More colloquial/slang variant
São Paulo
recuar por medo; ficar com medo
Standard usage
Portugal
desistir por medo; acuar-se
Portuguese usage may emphasize cowardice more directly

Related Idioms & Phrases

get cold feet
lose one's nerve
back down
wimp out
turn tail and run
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