Get cold feet

How it is used

Informal, used before a commitment or important change. It describes hesitation caused by anxiety, not necessarily a completed withdrawal.

Example sentences

1. The buyer began to get cold feet after seeing how much renovation the office needed.

   New information triggers anxiety about proceeding with the purchase.

2. It is normal to get cold feet before leading your first major presentation.

   The anxiety concerns an upcoming responsibility, not a failed presentation.

Common collocations

• start to get cold feet
• get cold feet about a deal

Related terms

• dealAn agreement between two or more sides, especially a business arrangement to buy, sell or work together on agreed terms.
• walk awayTo end a negotiation or leave a deal because the terms on offer are not acceptable to you.

More terms: Office Idioms and Phrases

• touch base
• heads-up
• on the same page
• keep me posted
• ballpark figure
• bandwidth
• circle back
• low-hanging fruit
• get the ball rolling
• back to the drawing board
• drop the ball
• on my radar