Get cold feet describes the moment courage leaves. The decision was made, the plan was in place, and then fear arrives at the door. People often get cold feet before a wedding, a speech, a big purchase or a move to a new city.
The idiom does not mean the person is cold. It means they have lost their nerve and are thinking about quitting the plan at the last moment.
This page explains the meaning, the grammar, the register and the similar phrases. The 10-question drill at the end explains every answer.
What it means
In one sentence: To get cold feet means to become nervous or frightened just before an important event, so that you hesitate or want to cancel your plan.
What the idiom means in everyday English
- It means sudden nerves before a big step: "He got cold feet the night before the wedding."
- The person has usually already agreed to the plan, which makes the fear a change of heart.
- It often leads to hesitation, a delay or a cancellation.
- The phrase describes a temporary feeling; people can recover and go ahead after all.
How the idiom behaves in a sentence
- The usual pattern is get cold feet: "She got cold feet and cancelled the trip."
- The verb changes with tense: get, gets, got, getting. The adjective stays cold feet.
- You can add about or before: get cold feet about the wedding, get cold feet before the speech.
- Common patterns are getting cold feet and have got cold feet.
When the idiom does not fit
- It is not for small choices such as picking a meal; the plan should be important.
- Do not use it for a real medical problem with cold feet; that would be literal.
- Avoid it in formal writing when you need to be serious about a cancellation; say "had second thoughts".
- It should not suggest cowardice in a cruel way; it is a common human feeling, often treated gently.
Use it or not
Register: Informal to neutral. Get cold feet is common in conversation, messages and light writing. It is often used gently and with sympathy, as everyone understands last-minute nerves. A formal text would say "had second thoughts" or "withdrew at the last moment". The idiom is never rude on its own.
Examples
- He got cold feet and did not go through with the purchase.The idiom explains the cancelled plan.
- She is getting cold feet about the move to another country.About names the big decision.
- Do not get cold feet now; you have prepared for months.The negative encourages the person to continue.
- They had cold feet before the speech, but they were brilliant on stage.The nerves passed and the event went well.
- I nearly got cold feet at the airport, but I boarded the plane.Nearly shows the fear was real but did not win.
- It is normal to get cold feet before a wedding.The phrase can describe a common experience.
- The investor got cold feet when he saw the final contract.The idiom works in business as well as personal life.
Similar idioms
have second thoughts
to begin to doubt a decision you have made.
chicken out
to decide not to do something because of fear, informal and a little unkind.
lose your nerve
to become too frightened to do what you planned.
back out
to withdraw from an agreement or a plan.
have cold feet
the state form of the same idiom, without get.
Practice drill
Answer all 10 questions. Each answer is marked at once, and the meaning is explained under the question.
The night before the wedding, he panicked and ___.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. got cold feet Get cold feet means to become nervous and doubt a big plan, which fits the panic before the wedding.
Which sentence uses get cold feet correctly?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. She got cold feet and cancelled the move. The idiom means losing your nerve before a big step, so the cancelled move fits; the other sentences are literal or unrelated.
What does get cold feet mean?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. to become nervous about a plan Get cold feet means sudden nerves before an important event, not a real change in body temperature.
A friend is about to give a speech and says she wants to run away. What is she thinking of doing?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. backing out because of nerves Wanting to run away just before a big event is the classic sign of getting cold feet, or backing out due to nerves.
Which event is most likely to give someone cold feet?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. a wedding The idiom is for big, life-changing plans, and a wedding is the classic example.
Choose the sentence with the same meaning: "He got cold feet."
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. He lost his nerve. Get cold feet means to lose your nerve and hesitate just before a big event.
Which is correct?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. She is getting cold feet about the interview. The fixed phrase keeps the plural feet with no article: get cold feet about something.
You have not yet decided whether to accept a job abroad. Your friends say you are ___.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. getting cold feet Hesitating about a big decision to accept the job is a good fit for getting cold feet.
Which sentence does NOT use the idiom correctly?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. In winter, I get cold feet without socks. The last sentence describes a real body temperature, while the idiom means losing your nerve before a plan.
A colleague says, "I am getting cold feet about the presentation." What is the best reply?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. That is normal; you know your material well. Get cold feet means pre-event nerves, so a reassuring reply about preparation fits the idiom.
Questions learners ask
Is get cold feet formal or informal?
It is informal to neutral. It is fine in conversation, messages and friendly writing. In a formal report about a cancelled deal, use "withdrew at the last moment" or "had second thoughts".
Does get cold feet mean the plan is cancelled?
Not always. Cold feet is the nervous feeling. It may lead to cancellation, or the person may go ahead after all. The idiom describes the fear, and the result depends on what happens next.
What is the past tense of get cold feet?
The past form is got cold feet in British English and either got or gotten cold feet in American English: "She got cold feet before the wedding." The phrase cold feet does not change.
More idioms
In hot water
To be in hot water is to be in trouble because of something you did or failed to do.
Miss the boat
To miss the boat is to lose an opportunity because you waited too long or did not act in time.
Play it by ear
To play it by ear is to deal with a situation as it develops, instead of following a plan made in advance.
Browse all the idiom pages or take the free A1 to C2 level test to find your starting point.