cold feet

plural noun

: apprehension or doubt strong enough to prevent a planned course of action

Examples of cold feet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In the interim, Angels owner Arte Moreno got cold feet and canceled the deal, which is a good example of why Moreno is viewed as a terrible owner. Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2024 Paramount’s stock fell roughly 7% on Friday amid a report that the company was getting cold feet about Skydance’s offer. Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for cold feet 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cold feet.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1893, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cold feet was in 1893

Dictionary Entries Near cold feet

Cite this Entry

“Cold feet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cold%20feet. Accessed 1 Jun. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on cold feet

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