怖気づく
おじけづく
verb (godan)
to get cold feet; to lose one's nerve; to become frightened
Conjugation
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| Present | 怖気づく | 怖気づかない |
| Present polite | 怖気づきます | 怖気づきません |
| Past | 怖気づいた | 怖気づかなかった |
| Past polite | 怖気づきました | 怖気づきませんでした |
| て form | 怖気づいて | 怖気づかなくて |
| ている present | 怖気づいている | 怖気づいていない |
| ている polite | 怖気づいています | 怖気づいていません |
| ている past | 怖気づいていた | 怖気づいていなかった |
| ている past polite | 怖気づいていました | 怖気づいていませんでした |
| Conditional ば | 怖気づけば | 怖気づかなければ |
| Conditional たら | 怖気づいたら | 怖気づかなかったら |
| Volitional | 怖気づこう | — |
| Volitional polite | 怖気づきましょう | — |
| Potential | 怖気づける | 怖気づけない |
| Passive | 怖気づかれる | 怖気づかれない |
| Causative | 怖気づかせる | 怖気づかせない |
| Imperative | 怖気づけ | 怖気づくな |
1.
to get cold feet; to lose one's nerve; to become frightened
to become afraid or intimidated, especially just before doing something, causing one to hesitate or back down
怖気づいてしまった。
I got cold feet.
相手の迫力に怖気づいた。
I was intimidated by the opponent's intensity.
試合の前に怖気づくな。
Don't lose your nerve before the match.
暗い森の中に入ろうとしたが、怖気づいて引き返した。
I tried to enter the dark forest but got frightened and turned back.
A godan verb describing the moment when fear or intimidation takes hold and one loses the courage to proceed. Implies that the person was initially willing but became afraid.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 怖気づいて逃げる: to run away out of fear
- 迫力に怖気づく: to be intimidated by someone's intensity
- 怖気づくことなく: without flinching
- 怖気づかせる: to intimidate someone
SIMILAR WORDS:
- ひるむ: to flinch or shrink back; similar in meaning but more literary
- 臆する: to be timid or lose courage; more formal and written
- びびる: (colloquial) to be scared or chicken out; casual and slangy
ETYMOLOGY:
From 怖気 (a feeling of dread) + づく (to become attached to, to take on a quality). Literally, to become seized by dread.