IdiomTopic: emotions

get cold feet

/ˌɡet kəʊld ˈfiːt/INFORMAL · B2

Meaning

to become too nervous to do something you planned

Examples

1Leo was going to ask for a pay rise, but he got cold feet.
2Plenty of people get cold feet a week before their wedding.
3She booked a solo trip to Spain and then got cold feet.
4Don’t get cold feet now — you have practised this presentation for a month.
5Half the choir got cold feet and sang far too quietly at the audition.

Grammar

Both get and have are used, and only that verb changes: gets, got, getting. Keep feet plural.

Similar in meaning

have butterflies in your stomach

More idioms about emotions

All 20 idioms and the topic quiz →

hit the roofto suddenly become extremely angry on cloud nineextremely happy and excited cry your eyes outto weep a great deal keep your coolto stay calm in a difficult moment drive someone up the wallto make someone very annoyed or angry head over heelscompletely in love with someone

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