Chicken out on Meaning in English
expression
ˈtʃɪkən/ /ˈaʊt/ /ˈɑn/, /ˈɔn
CHIK-un OWT AHN
tʃˈɪkɪn/ /ˈaʊt/ /ˈɒn
CHIK-in OWT ON
Definition
To lose courage and back out of something, especially when someone is counting on you.
Usage & Nuances
Informal, sometimes sounds judgmental. Usage: 'chicken out on (someone/something)'. Implies disappointing another person. Don't confuse with 'chicken out' alone, which means just getting scared, often without affecting others.
Spanish: acobardarse y dejar plantado - retirarse a último momentoPortuguese (BR): amarelar e deixar alguém na mão - desistir em cima da horaPortuguese (PT): acobardar-se e deixar alguém pendurado - desistir à última da horaChinese (Simplified): 临阵退缩（让...失望）- 放对方鸽子Chinese (Traditional): 臨陣退縮（讓...失望）- 放對方鴿子Hindi: डर के पीछे हट जाना (किसी को अकेला छोड़ना)Arabic: تراجع عن شيء بسبب الخوفBengali: ভয়ে পিছিয়ে যাওয়া (কারো সাথে বিশ্বাসঘাতকতা করা)Russian: струсить и подвести кого-то - отказаться в последний моментJapanese: 怖気づいて誰かを置き去りにする - ドタキャンするVietnamese: rụt lui vào phút chót (bỏ mặc ai đó)Korean: 겁먹고 약속을 어기다 - 마지막에 포기하다Turkish: korkup vazgeçmek ve birini yüzüstü bırakmakUrdu: ڈر کے پیچھے ہٹ جانا (کسی کو اکیلا چھوڑ دینا)Indonesian: mundur karena takut (mengecewakan seseorang)
Example Sentences
Next time, don't chicken out on your promise.
natural
He chickened out on the team at the last minute.
basic
Don’t chicken out on your friends when they need you.
basic
She promised to help but chickened out on us before the meeting.
basic
I can't believe you chickened out on the plan after all our hard work.
natural
They all said they'd be there, but most of them chickened out on us.
natural