How do you say “Get cold feet” in French?
The closest natural French equivalent is se dégonfler, which literally means “to deflate oneself”. English speakers use get cold feet to mean to lose your nerve about something you had agreed to do. This is the most common informal idiom in French for losing your nerve and backing out of a commitment at the critical moment. While it overlaps with 'chickening out', it captures the psychological shift of 'getting cold feet' perfectly. It is informal, colloquial and common in everyday French.
Closest natural French
se dégonfler
/sə de.ɡɔ̃.fle/
- Literal meaning
- “to deflate oneself”
- Register
- informal, colloquial
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Close equivalent
88 out of 100
What a native French speaker would actually say
In English, 'getting cold feet' evokes a physical paralysis or chill before taking an important plunge, most famously before a wedding, job interview, or major life commitment. French lacks a direct thermal metaphor for this feeling, opting instead for a mechanical image: 'se dégonfler' envisions someone losing their courage like a tire or balloon losing its air under pressure.
While 'se dégonfler' can sometimes sound slightly more derogatory, bordering on 'chickening out', native speakers use it routinely in the exact situations where English speakers say they got cold feet. To soften the blow or speak in a more professional setting, neutral phrases like 'faire marche arrière' or 'hésiter au dernier moment' are preferred.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone4 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity1 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
What are other ways to say it in French?
faire marche arrière
Literally: “to reverse / put it in reverse”
Neutral in tone and focuses on the decision to back out rather than the fear itself.
reculer au dernier moment
Literally: “to step back at the last moment”
A standard, non-idiomatic way to express pulling out due to hesitation.
avoir la trouille
Literally: “to have the fear”
More informal, focuses primarily on the feeling of being terrified rather than the act of backing out.
Don't translate it literally
avoir les pieds froids
This is an English calque that only means your feet are physically cold in French.
Word-for-word versions like these are understood as literal statements in French, not as expressions.
In context
English
He was going to propose, but he got cold feet at the last minute.
French
Il allait faire sa demande, mais il s'est dégonflé au dernier moment.
English
Don't get cold feet now, we already bought the plane tickets!
French
Ne te dégonfle pas maintenant, on a déjà acheté les billets d'avion !
Related expressions
- What “Get cold feet” means in English
- Bite the bullet, To face something unpleasant with resolve.
- Sit on the fence, To stay deliberately neutral.
Last reviewed 2026-09-11