What does "get cold feet" mean?

To become nervous or hesitant about something you were committed to doing, often at the last minute. Someone who gets cold feet was ready to do something but then felt fear or doubt and pulled back. The important thing is that the intention was already in place. The person had decided to act, and then nerves crept in and stopped them.

• Weddings: "He got cold feet and called it off"
• Decisions: "I was going to resign, but I got cold feet"
• Business: "The investor got cold feet at the last minute"
• Public speaking: "She was set to give the toast, then got cold feet and sat down"
• Everyday plans: "We were going to book the trip, but we got cold feet when we saw the price"

Notice how the phrase works well in both emotional situations, like weddings, and practical ones, like business deals. In each case there was a plan, and then the plan wobbled.

The connection between cold feet and fear is old, possibly from the idea that fear makes blood rush away from your extremities, leaving your feet cold. It's been in English since the 19th century. You do not need to know the history to use it, but it helps the meaning stick.

Picture yourself standing at the edge of a cold swimming pool, ready to jump in. Your toes touch the icy water, your feet go cold, and suddenly you do not want to jump anymore. That hesitation at the last second is exactly what "get cold feet" describes.

Cold feet implies hesitation about something you were going to do, not something you were unsure about from the start. The commitment was there, then doubt appeared. If you never intended to do the thing in the first place, cold feet is the wrong phrase.

Learners sometimes say "I have cold feet about learning to drive" when they mean they are generally afraid of it. If the fear was there from the beginning and there was never a firm plan, "cold feet" does not quite fit. Say "I am nervous about learning to drive" instead. Save cold feet for the moment when you were all set to book the lesson and then backed away. Also remember it is almost always used with "get" or "have," so "get cold feet" and "have cold feet" are both natural, but "make cold feet" is not.

• "Get nervous" or "bottle it" (British, informal), lost nerve
• "Back out," withdrew from a commitment
• "Have second thoughts," began to doubt a decision
• "Get scared off," when something external caused the fear

In American English, "chicken out" is a very common casual alternative, as in "He chickened out at the last second." British speakers use "bottle it" in the same way, as in "He bottled it before the interview." Both carry a slightly stronger hint of losing your courage, while "get cold feet" sounds a little gentler and more understandable.

Among friends, cold feet feels warm and relaxed, as in "Don't get cold feet on me now." In a professional setting it still works, though people often soften it further, saying "The client got cold feet about the deal." It is neutral enough for most offices, but for very formal writing you might prefer "withdrew" or "reconsidered."

"Get butterflies" or "have butterflies in your stomach" describes the nervous, fluttery feeling itself, without the idea of backing out. You can have butterflies and still go through with something. Cold feet, by contrast, usually ends with you pulling back.

Casual to neutral. Common in everyday conversation and casual professional settings.