noun

cold feet

kohld FEET

Quiz me More like this

Cold feet (noun) means a sudden loss of nerve about something you had already decided to do. Example: “He got cold feet the night before the wedding.”

noun

idiomatic A sudden loss of nerve about something you had already decided to do.

"He got cold feet the night before the wedding."

"Two bidders got cold feet once the survey came back."

How to use cold feet

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishGetting scared and wanting to back out at the last minute.

When to use it

Informal and idiomatic; almost always used with get or have, and it is uncountable.

Memory tip

Do not say a cold feet or cold foot; the phrase is fixed in the plural without an article.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

cold shoulder cold hands

Common pairings

get cold feet have cold feet cold feet about a case of cold feet

Vocabulary Flow

Build your vocabulary from words like cold feet.

Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.

Start vocabulary practice

C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

Test yourself on “cold feet” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

He got _____ the night before the wedding.

Etymology

Idiomatic sense possibly from a calque of German kalte Füße bekommen (“to get cold feet”), or of Lombard avegh minga frecc i pee (“to have no money”, literally “to be cold in the feet”) (Italian aver freddo ai piedi), said by a person who wishes to stop gambling, allegedly because the person now has cold feet due to being too poor to afford proper footwear.

Origin: German

Synonyms

View more →

second thoughts misgivings doubts loss of nerve

Antonyms

resolve nerve

Related words

face heart answer purpose decide steel resolution balls

Rhymes for cold feet

yeet feet meet beet jeet geet weet sweet sheet sleet skeet fleet

See all rhymes for cold feet →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between getting cold feet and changing your mind?

Changing your mind means new reasoning led to a different decision. Cold feet means fear or nerves overtook a decision you had already made and probably still believe in. That is why it usually strikes just before the commitment.

Is cold feet only about weddings?

No. Weddings are the classic example, but the phrase applies to any commitment, such as pulling out of a house purchase, a job offer, an investment or a public speech.

Can you say cold foot in the singular?

No. Cold feet is a fixed idiom and only works in the plural. The singular refers literally to a chilly foot.

What is the meaning of cold feet?

"cold feet" (noun) means a sudden loss of nerve about something you had already decided to do.

People also searched

face heart answer purpose decide steel resolution balls