MEANING
To abandon an intended action because one becomes frightened.
Use it for
fear-driven withdrawal; informal accounts of lost resolveLet dialogue reveal how the speaker judges retreat.
Words that belong together
- chicken out at the last minute
- chicken out of a dare
- almost chicken out
On the page
I nearly chickened out when I saw the height of the platform.
He accused her of chickening out of the confrontation.
The novice chickened out at the door, then returned with a guide.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- chicken out
- Past tense
- chickened out
- Past participle
- chickened out
- Present participle
- chickening out
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- chicken out
- Present continuous
- am/is/are chickening out
- Present perfect
- have/has chickened out
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been chickening out
- Past
- chickened out
- Past continuous
- was/were chickening out
- Past perfect
- had chickened out
- Past perfect continuous
- had been chickening out
- Future
- will chicken out
- Future continuous
- will be chickening out
- Future perfect
- will have chickened out
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been chickening out
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
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Usage notes
Primary category: fear. Informal and potentially teasing or contemptuous; avoid making prudent refusal sound objectively cowardly. Verb forms (base, third-person singular, past, past participle, -ing): chicken out, chickens out, chickened out, chickened out, chickening out.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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