How do you say “Get cold feet” in Spanish?
The closest natural Spanish equivalent is Echarse atrás por miedo, which literally means “To throw oneself back out of fear”. English speakers use get cold feet to mean to lose your nerve about something you had agreed to do. A natural way to describe backing out because of nerves. It is stronger than the English when the person is only having doubts and has not withdrawn. Register: informal, neutral. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural Spanish
Echarse atrás por miedo
/eˈtʃaɾse aˈtɾas poɾ ˈmjedo/
- Literal meaning
- “To throw oneself back out of fear”
- Register
- informal, neutral
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Close equivalent
84 out of 100
What a native Spanish speaker would actually say
English describes a feeling through cold feet. Spanish can describe the retreat directly, but “echarse atrás” means actually backing out.
If the person is losing courage but has not backed out, “le está entrando miedo” is closer. Adding “por miedo” makes the reason for withdrawing clear without suggesting every change of plan comes from fear.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning4 out of 5
- Tone4 out of 5
- Context4 out of 5
- Literal similarity1 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
What are other ways to say it in Spanish?
Entrarle miedo a alguien
Literally: “For fear to enter someone”
Use when someone loses courage before doing something but has not backed out.
Acobardarse
Literally: “To become cowardly”
Stronger and more critical, suggesting a loss of courage.
Common translation traps
Tener los pies fríos
This describes feet that are physically cold, rather than fear about a commitment.
The notes above explain why these versions do not work in this context in Spanish.
In context
English
He got cold feet and cancelled the trip.
Spanish
Se echó atrás por miedo y canceló el viaje.
English
She’s getting cold feet about the wedding.
Spanish
Le está entrando miedo al pensar en la boda.
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 updated 2026-09-13