cold feet

plural noun

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

Examples of cold feet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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And Indonesia isn’t the only country getting cold feet. Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 18 Mar. 2026 And if someone ends up getting cold feet over giving an AI agent access to their entire lives? Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2026 This was a big deal for Baltimore, which is probably why some believe this was more about having cold feet than any medical reasons. Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026 There has been no public indication so far that sponsors are getting cold feet. Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cold feet

Word History

First Known Use

1893, in the meaning defined above

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cold feet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cold%20feet. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.

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