Definitions

cold feet

NOUN

loss of nerve preventing completion of an action

Synonyms

WEAK

anxiety apprehension backing out chickenheart doubt faint heart fear fear of carrying out an activity reservations second thoughts timidity weak knees white feather yellow streak

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

cold feet

Retail investors are getting cold feet about stocks, just when the market needs them most.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026

I avoided my publisher for so long that they probably suspected I got cold feet.

From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026

Wiatt, apparently having cold feet, starts harping on culture.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

It may well get cold feet and remove the line item before the bill makes it to a vote.

From Slate ● May 9, 2026

I didn’t want to give cold feet a chance to show up.

From "We'll Fly Away" by Bryan Bliss

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