chicken out
不及物动词短语，后面不接宾语时泛指在害怕的关头放弃。
He was going to sing on stage, but he chickened out.
他本来要上台唱歌，但临阵退缩了。
避免害怕的情况
to decide not to do something because you are afraid
常与 out 连用，作 chicken out（因害怕而临阵退缩）。
避免害怕的情况
To avoid a situation one is afraid of.
一般现在时
He chickens whenever he has to take a risk.
每当需要冒险时，他就退缩。
一般过去时
I chickened at the last moment and stayed home.
我最后一刻退缩了，留在了家里。
现在完成时
They have chickened twice already.
他们已经退缩了两次。
规则动词；意为因害怕而逃避、退缩。
She wanted to try the roller coaster, but she chickened out at the last second.
她本来想试试过山车，但最后一秒退缩了。
用法提示：chicken out 表示因害怕而临阵退缩，chickened 是过去式。
He always chickens out when he has to give a speech in front of a large audience.
他每次不得不在大批观众面前演讲时总是退缩。
用法提示：chickens out 用第三人称单数形式，表示因害怕而避免做某事。
Are you really going to chicken out instead of asking her to dance?
你真要退缩，不敢请她跳舞吗？
用法提示：在问句中 chicken out 表示因害怕而放弃做某事。
不及物动词短语，后面不接宾语时泛指在害怕的关头放弃。
He was going to sing on stage, but he chickened out.
他本来要上台唱歌，但临阵退缩了。
of 后接让人害怕的那件事或活动。
She chickened out of the bungee jump at the last moment.
她在最后一刻退缩，没敢去蹦极。
of 后也可接动名词，说明本来打算做却因害怕而没做的事。
They chickened out of asking the teacher for help.
他们临阵退缩，没敢向老师求助。
grammar · medium
易错句子He chickened out the exam because he was afraid of failing.
正确表达He chickened out of the exam because he was afraid of failing.
chicken out 是不及物动词短语，不能直接跟宾语；表示“因害怕而退出某事”时，必须用 chicken out of + 名词/动名词。中文“退缩”后可以直接跟动作对象，但英语需要介词 of 引出对象。
grammar · medium
易错句子She chickened out from the competition at the last minute.
正确表达She chickened out of the competition at the last minute.
固定搭配是 chicken out of something，不用 from。from 表示来源或起点，而这里 of 表示退出的对象；用 from 是受中文“从……中退出”的介词选择影响。
grammar · medium
易错句子They chickened out of to perform on stage.
正确表达They chickened out of performing on stage.
介词 of 后必须接名词或动名词（-ing 形式），不能接动词不定式 to do。这里把 of 后面的动词改为 performing，才符合英语介词补足语的规则。
临阵退缩；因害怕而放弃
I wanted to speak up, but I chickened out.
我想站出来说话，但还是临阵退缩了。
因胆怯而退出（比赛、计划等）
She chickened out of the race at the very start.
比赛刚开始她就因胆怯退出了。
在最后一刻退缩
They had planned to sing, but chickened out at the last minute.
他们本打算唱歌，却在最后一刻退缩了。
对某人临阵退缩；把某人晾在一边
He promised to help me, then chickened out on me.
他答应帮我，结果却临阵退缩，把我晾在一边。
因害怕而不敢做某事
I chickened out of telling him the truth.
我因胆怯而没敢告诉他真相。
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