cold feet
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.”
How to Use Cold feet
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishGetting scared and wanting to back out at the last minute.
Informal and idiomatic; almost always used with get or have, and it is uncountable.
Do not say a cold feet or cold foot; the phrase is fixed in the plural without an article.
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
He got _____ the night before the wedding.
Synonyms
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Related Words
Rhymes for cold feet
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.