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chicken out of

[ˈtʃɪkən aʊt əv]
verb phrase
desistir por medo; recuar; não ter coragem de
1. to fail to do something because of fear or lack of courage; to back out of a commitment or challenge
He was supposed to give a speech but chickened out of it at the last minute.
Ele deveria fazer um discurso mas desistiu por medo no último minuto.
2. to show cowardice by avoiding a difficult or risky situation
Don't chicken out of the dare; you promised you'd do it.
Não recue agora; você prometeu que faria o desafio.
NYC Slang
punk out; wimp out
Synonyms
back out ofwimp outcop outbail outlose one's nerve
Antonyms
face up toconfrontgo through withshow courage

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
desistir por medo; ficar com medo; recuar
most common usage throughout Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
não ter coragem; recuar; encolher
colloquial expression common in casual speech
São Paulo
desistir; não ter coragem; ficar com medo
standard usage in urban areas
Portugal
meter-se para trás; não ter coragem; desistir
less commonly used; Portuguese speakers may prefer alternative expressions

Related Idioms & Phrases

show the white feather
lose one's bottle
get cold feet
lose one's nerve
be yellow
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