How do you say “Chicken out” in French?
The closest natural French equivalent is se dégonfler, which literally means “to deflate”. English speakers use chicken out to mean to back out because you are afraid. A close informal French match for losing your nerve and backing out. It uses a deflating image. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural French
se dégonfler
/sə deɡɔ̃fle/
- Literal meaning
- “to deflate”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
96 out of 100
What a native French speaker would actually say
“Je me suis dégonflé” can be a light admission that you did not dare go ahead. It suits a moment when confidence suddenly disappears.
“Elle s’est dégonflée” changes the ending for a woman. Use it carefully about others, since the phrase can sound mocking.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity2 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
I reached the roller coaster, looked up and chickened out.
French
Je suis arrivé devant les montagnes russes, j'ai levé les yeux et je me suis dégonflé.
English
She wanted to ask him to dance but chickened out at the last moment.
French
Elle voulait l'inviter à danser, mais elle s'est dégonflée au dernier moment.
Related expressions
- What “Chicken out” means in English
- Get cold feet, To become nervous and back out.
Last updated 2026-10-01