Synonym Game

chicken out

[chik-uhn]

chick·en

[chik-uhn]
noun
1.
a domestic fowl, Gallus domesticus, descended from various jungle fowl of southeastern Asia and developed in a number of breeds for its flesh, eggs, and feathers.
2.
the young of this bird, especially when less than a year old.
3.
the flesh of the chicken, especially of the young bird, used as food.
4.
Informal. a young or inexperienced person, especially a young girl.
5.
Slang.
a.
a cowardly or fearful person.
b.
petty details or tasks.
c.
unnecessary discipline or regulations.
d.
a young male homosexual, especially one sought as a sexual partner by older men.
EXPAND
6.
a contest in which two cars approach each other at high speed down the center of a road, the object being to force one's opponent to veer away first.
7.
a policy or strategy of challenging an opponent to risk a clash or yield: diplomats playing chicken at the conference table.
COLLAPSE
adjective
8.
(of food) containing, made from, or having the flavor of chicken: chicken salad; chicken soup.
9.
Slang.
b.
petty or trivial: a chicken regulation.
c.
obsessed with petty details, regulations, etc.: He's quitting this chicken outfit to become his own boss.

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Chicken out is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
10.
chicken out, Slang.
a.
to refrain from doing something because of fear or cowardice: I chickened out when I saw how deep the water was.
b.
to renege or withdraw: You can't chicken out of this business deal now.
11.
count one's chickens before they are hatched, to rely on a benefit that is still uncertain: They were already spending in anticipation of their inheritance, counting their chickens before they were hatched.

Origin:
before 950; 1605–15 for def. 5a; 1940–45 for def. 7; Middle English chiken, Old English cīcen; akin to Middle Dutch kieken (Dutch kuiken), Low German küken
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
chicken out
 
vb
informal (intr, adverb) to fail to do something through fear or lack of conviction

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Slang Dictionary

chicken out (of (sth)) definition


  1. in.
    to manage to get out of something, usually because of fear or cowardice. : Freddy chickened out of the plan at the last minute.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases

chicken out

Back out from fear, lose one's nerve, as in In the end I chickened out and took the easier route down the mountain. Chicken is a popular synonym for "cowardly," a usage arising in the 1600s and 1700s but then apparently abandoned until the 20th century. [Slang; c. 1930]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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