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Recoil at the thought Meaning in English

expression

ree-KOYL at thuh THAWT
REE-koyl at thuh THAWT

Definition

To have a strong, negative emotional reaction to the idea of something, feeling so uncomfortable or disgusted that you want to avoid even thinking about it.

Usage & Nuances

This expression is formal/literary, common in written English but less so in speech. Used when something is so unpleasant you can't bear to contemplate it. Not for minor dislikes. Common collocations: 'recoil at the thought of...', 'recoil from the thought of...'. Can express fear, disgust, or moral objection.

Spanish: horrizarse ante la idea - estremecerse solo de pensarloPortuguese (BR): recuar só de pensar - estremecer só de pensarPortuguese (PT): recusar-se só de pensar - estremecer só de pensarChinese (Simplified): 一想到就退缩 - 一想到就发怵Chinese (Traditional): 一想到就退縮 - 一想到就發怵Hindi: सोच कर ही पीछे हट जाना - ख्याल से ही डर जानाArabic: ينقبض عند مجرد التفكير - يرتد عند الفكرةBengali: ভাবলেই পিছিয়ে যাওয়া - ভাবলেই আঁতকে ওঠাRussian: отпрянуть при одной мысли - содрогаться при мыслиJapanese: 考えただけで身を引く - 考えただけでぞっとするVietnamese: chùn bước khi nghĩ đến - rùng mình khi nghĩ đếnKorean: 생각만 해도 움찔하다 - 생각만 해도 질리다Turkish: düşüncesi bile ürkütmek - düşünmekten bile çekinmekUrdu: سوچ کر ہی پیچھے ہٹ جانا - خیال آنے پر ہی گھبرا جاناIndonesian: mundur hanya dengan memikirkannya - merasa ngeri memikirkannya

Example Sentences

I recoil at the thought of eating insects.

basic

Many people recoil at the thought of public speaking.

basic

She recoils at the thought of losing her pet.

basic

He recoils at the thought of having to sit through another boring meeting.

natural

I recoil at the thought of moving back in with my parents as an adult.

natural

Some people recoil at the thought of trying new foods, but I love it.

natural