Meaning
A sudden loss of courage or confidence that makes someone hesitate or withdraw from a planned action.
Origin
Cold feet in this sense belongs to late nineteenth-century American slang. Examples occur in 1890s fiction and journalism, including works by George Ade and Stephen Crane in 1896; Merriam-Webster dates its first known use to 1893. Earlier appearances are literal or carry different figurative meanings. The exact metaphor is uncertain, and stories connecting it directly with Emperor Henry IV at Canossa, retreating soldiers, or an Italian phrase are not supported as the English idiom's demonstrated source.
Research Sources
References used to check this entry’s meaning, history, or documented forms.
Variants
- Get cold feet
- Have cold feet
Usage Examples
- Darren got cold feet the night before he was due to sign the contract.
- She had planned to dive, but cold feet kept her on the boat.
- Do not mistake a sensible final check for getting cold feet.