1. to act in a cowardly manner; to lose one's nerve
表現膽怯；退縮
He was going to ask her out, but he chickened out at the last minute.
他本來打算約她出去，但最後一刻卻退縮了。
Don't chicken out now—you've come this far!
現在別打退堂鼓——你都走到這一步了！
Chicken Meaning（定義、用法、例句與發音）
chicken
verb
快速理解
What does "Chicken" mean?What are 2-3 core uses of "Chicken"?
作為動詞時，chicken 主要表示因害怕而退縮或放棄。
- 1
退縮；臨陣退縮
EN: to be too scared to do something
翻譯: 因過於害怕而不敢做某事
- 2
認輸；放棄
EN: to back out of a challenge or dare
翻譯: 從挑戰或打賭中退出
小提醒：注意：動詞 'chicken' 通常與 'out' 連用，形成片語動詞 'chicken out'，意為『因膽怯而放棄』。單獨使用 'chicken' 作動詞較不常見。
發音（How to Pronounce "Chicken" in English）
How to pronounce "Chicken" in English?"Chicken" US vs UK pronunciation
點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。
Real-life Examples of "Chicken" from YouTube Videos
Why is social media actually dumb.
meiqiii
“it feels like you have more agency in your thought, right, because you're being introduced to various ways of thinking and you have more room to formulate your own ideas, whereas for social media, it's like the ideas are coming to you and instead of sitting at a buffet of knowledge and like you can like, oh, I'm going to eat the chicken, I'm going to eat the broccoli, or well, I've never tried this dish-”
(1 out of 23)
Definitions（定義）
What are the definitions of "Chicken"?How does "Chicken" change by context?
2. to play a game of daring where participants try to avoid being the first to yield
玩比膽量的遊戲（如對撞車遊戲），看誰先退縮
The two drivers were chickening on the narrow road, neither willing to swerve.
那兩位司機在狹窄的路上互不相讓，玩起了比膽量的遊戲，誰都不願轉向。
Teenagers sometimes chicken by driving straight at each other.
青少年有時會玩對撞車的遊戲來比膽量。
3. to taunt or provoke someone by calling them a coward
用激將法刺激某人；罵某人是膽小鬼
Stop chickening him—he'll do it when he's ready.
別再用激將法刺激他了——他準備好就會做的。
She chickened him into jumping off the high dive.
她用激將法刺激他，讓他從高跳台跳了下去。
Grammar & Patterns（句型）
What are common sentence patterns for "Chicken"?How to make natural sentences with "Chicken"?
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| chicken out (of something) | 因害怕而退縮（不做某事） | He was going to ask her out, but he chickened out at the last minute. (他本來打算約她出去，但最後一刻卻退縮了。) |
| chicken out on someone | 對某人食言、退縮 | Don't chicken out on me now; I'm counting on you! (現在別對我打退堂鼓，我指望著你呢！) |
| be too chicken to + V | 太膽小而不敢做某事 | I was too chicken to go on the roller coaster. (我太膽小了，不敢去坐雲霄飛車。) |
用法說明
How is "Chicken" different from similar structures?What usage mistakes are common with "Chicken"?
chicken out vs chicken
- "chicken out" 是一個完整的動詞片語，意思是「因膽怯而臨陣退縮、打退堂鼓」。它強調的是在最後一刻因為害怕而放棄做某事。
- 單獨使用 "chicken" 作為動詞較為少見，意思接近「變得膽怯」或「退縮」，但通常會搭配其他詞彙（如 "out"）來構成完整語意。
- 在大多數情況下，表達「臨陣退縮」的意思時，應使用完整的片語 "chicken out"。 EN: He said he would jump off the high dive, but he chickened out at the last second. 翻譯: 他說他會從高跳台跳下去，但最後一秒他退縮了。
EN:Don't chicken on your promise to tell the truth.
翻譯:不要對你承諾說出真相這件事感到膽怯。
總結建議
表達因害怕而放棄做某事時，應使用完整的動詞片語 "chicken out"。
易混淆對比
What is the difference between "Chicken" and similar words?How to choose "Chicken" vs alternatives?
chicken vs hesitate
「chicken」強調因恐懼而完全放棄或退縮，帶有俚語色彩；「hesitate」則指在行動前因不確定或擔憂而短暫猶豫。
chicken vs back down
「chicken」側重因恐懼而退出，用語較口語化；「back down」則指在對抗或爭論中因壓力或威脅而讓步或退縮。
chicken vs falter
「chicken」是主動選擇退出；「falter」則是在進行中因不確定或失去信心而動搖、結巴或表現不穩。
口語用法
How is "Chicken" used in spoken English?What is the spoken vs formal difference for "Chicken"?
引述
在引述他人話語或想法時，用來表示退縮、放棄或不敢做某事。 EN: He said he was going to confront the boss, but he chickened out at the last minute. 翻譯: 他說要去跟老闆對質，但最後一刻還是退縮了。
EN:I thought about asking her out, but I totally chickened.
翻譯:我本來想約她出去，但完全不敢開口。
語氣強調
與 "out" 連用，強調因恐懼而徹底放棄某個計劃或行動。 EN: Don't chicken out on me now! We've come this far. 翻譯: 你現在可別給我打退堂鼓！我們都走到這一步了。
EN:She was all set to go skydiving, but she chickened out at the edge of the plane.
翻譯:她本來都準備好要跳傘了，但在機艙門口還是臨陣退縮了。
停頓填充
在非正式對話中，單獨使用 "chicken" 作為動詞，有時會略帶幽默或自嘲的語氣。 EN: I was going to... you know... chicken. It looked too scary. 翻譯: 我當時打算要…你知道的…認慫。那看起來太可怕了。
EN:So what did you do? — I chickened. What else?
翻譯:那你後來怎麼做了？— 我退縮啦。不然還能怎樣？
正式寫作注意："chicken" 作為動詞屬於非常口語化的用法，通常只用於非正式對話或敘述中。在正式報告、學術論文或商業書信裡，應使用更標準的詞彙，如 "lose one's nerve", "back out (due to fear)", 或 "retreat cowardly"。
常見短語
What common collocations use "Chicken"?What fixed phrases with "Chicken" should I remember?
chicken out
verb phrase
因膽怯而退縮；臨陣退縮
chicken feed
noun phrase
微不足道的金額；小錢
run around like a headless chicken
verb phrase
像無頭蒼蠅一樣亂竄；驚慌失措地瞎忙
chicken-and-egg
adjective phrase
雞生蛋還是蛋生雞的；因果難分的
no spring chicken
noun phrase (predicative)
不再年輕；年紀不小了
play chicken
verb phrase
玩比膽量遊戲（尤指兩車對開，看誰先轉向閃避）
chicken-hearted
adjective
膽小的；怯懦的
常見錯誤
What are common mistakes with "Chicken"?Which "Chicken" sentences look correct but are wrong?
×He chickened to ask her out.
✓He chickened out of asking her out.
The phrasal verb 'chicken out' is inseparable and requires 'out' immediately after 'chicken'. It is followed by 'of + noun/gerund' to indicate the action avoided.
×I chickened from the bungee jump.
✓I chickened out of the bungee jump.
The correct preposition to use with 'chicken out' is 'of', not 'from', when indicating the thing one is avoiding.
×They are chickening to tell the truth.
✓They are chickening out of telling the truth.
'Chicken out' is not followed by an infinitive ('to tell'). It must be followed by 'of + gerund' to show the avoided action.
×The team chickened the competition.
✓The team chickened out of the competition.
The verb 'chicken' by itself (without 'out') is informal and rare as a verb meaning 'to act like a chicken'. The standard idiomatic expression for losing courage is the phrasal verb 'chicken out'.
×I was so scared that I chickened.
✓I was so scared that I chickened out.
While 'chicken out' can sometimes stand alone without an object (e.g., 'Don't chicken out!'), simply using 'chickened' is incomplete and sounds unnatural. The particle 'out' is essential to the phrasal verb.
詞形變化
What are the word forms of "Chicken"?What are tense/participle forms of "Chicken"?
chickens(3rd_singular)chickening(present_participle)chickened(past)chickened(past_participle)