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quail

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of quail

1 to draw back in fear, pain, or disgust

  • we quailed when the waiter unexpectedly presented us with a hindquarter of frog's legs
Synonyms of quail

blench, cringe, flinch, recoil, shrink, squinch, wince
Words Related to quail

blanch, pale, whiten

quake, quiver, shake, shudder, tremble

crouch

jerk, start, twitch

recede, retire, retreat, withdraw

falter, hesitate, reel, waver
Near Antonyms of quail

advance, approach, near

beard, challenge, confront, defy, face

2 to draw back or crouch down in fearful submission

  • brave resisters who did not quail before the tyrantʼs iron hand
Synonyms of quail

cower, cringe, grovel
Words Related to quail

flinch, recoil, shrink, squinch

blanch, blench, whiten

fawn, kowtow, toady

Synonym Discussion of quail

recoil, shrink, flinch, wince, blench, quail mean to draw back in fear or distaste. recoil implies a start or movement away through shock, fear, or disgust.
    • recoiled at the suggestion of stealing
shrink suggests an instinctive recoil through sensitiveness, scrupulousness, or cowardice.
    • shrank from the unpleasant truth
flinch implies a failure to endure pain or face something dangerous or frightening with resolution.
    • faced her accusers without flinching
wince suggests a slight involuntary physical reaction (such as a start or recoiling).
    • winced in pain
blench implies fainthearted flinching.
    • stood their ground without blenching
quail suggests shrinking and cowering in fear.
    • quailed before the apparition

Learn More about quail

  1. See words that rhyme with quail Dictionary: Definition of quail Spanish Central: Translation of quail Nglish: Translation of quail for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of quail for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about quail

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