Cold Feet Meaning: "Getting Cold Feet" Explained
To get cold feet means to lose your nerve and become too nervous or doubtful to do something you had planned. It is used most famously about weddings, but you can get cold feet about a job offer, a house purchase, a skydive or a speech.
The phrase describes a sudden loss of confidence close to the moment of action. You were ready, you agreed, maybe you even bought the outfit, and then doubt crept in. Here is what the idiom covers, how it is built, where it may have come from and how to use it naturally.
Quick answer: “Cold feet” means nervousness or doubt that makes you hesitate or back out of something, especially a commitment like marriage. The usual forms are “get cold feet” and “have cold feet.” It is informal and used the same way in the US, UK and Australia.
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What "cold feet" really describes
The idiom names a specific kind of fear: last-minute hesitation about a commitment you already made or planned.
Three features set it apart from simple fear:
- Timing. Cold feet usually arrive as the big moment gets close.
- Prior commitment. There is normally a plan, promise or agreement in place.
- Possible withdrawal. The person may back out, or at least think about it.
So you would not say a child has cold feet about the dark. You would say a groom has cold feet the night before his wedding, or an investor got cold feet and pulled out of a deal.
Literal vs figurative
Literally, cold feet are just cold feet: bad socks, a chilly floor, poor circulation. In conversation, context almost always makes the meaning clear. “My feet are freezing” is literal; “She got cold feet” is nearly always the idiom.
Interestingly, the figurative image may connect loosely to the body's real stress response, since fear can make your hands and feet feel cold. That is a nice link to notice, but there is no evidence it is where the idiom came from.
How to use it in a sentence
The phrase almost always appears in one of these patterns:
| Pattern | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| get cold feet | He got cold feet. | Most common; stresses the change of feeling |
| have cold feet | She has cold feet about the move. | Describes the current state |
| get/have cold feet about + noun/-ing | They got cold feet about buying the house. | Names the thing feared |
| get cold feet over + noun | Investors got cold feet over the risks. | Common in news style |
| give someone cold feet | The cost gave us cold feet. | Names the cause |
| a case of cold feet | a bad case of cold feet | Noun-phrase use, slightly humorous |
Pronunciation: KOHLD FEET. Both words get similar stress, with a slight lift on feet.
Grammar point: the phrase is a plural noun, so it takes plural agreement if it is ever the subject: “Cold feet are normal before a wedding,” not “cold feet is normal.” In practice, though, many speakers treat “having cold feet” as the subject (“Having cold feet is normal”), which takes a singular verb.
Where the idiom came from
Honest answer first: no one knows for certain. What we have are early records and several competing theories.
What the records show
The idiom in its modern sense, losing courage, is well attested in American English from the late nineteenth century. The novelist Stephen Crane is often mentioned as an early user in the 1890s, and the expression was common in American slang by the early twentieth century. From there it spread to British and Australian English.
Theory 1: A German expression
German has kalte Füße bekommen (“to get cold feet”), meaning to back out of something. One frequently repeated claim connects it to a nineteenth-century German novel in which a card player excuses himself from a game by saying his feet are cold, when the real reason is that he is losing. If that story is accurate, it would fit neatly: cold feet as a convenient excuse to withdraw. German immigration to the United States was large in the nineteenth century, so a borrowing is plausible. Still, a single literary example does not prove the English phrase came from German.
Theory 2: An Italian saying about poverty
Some sources point to a line in Ben Jonson's play Volpone (1605–06) mentioning an apparently Lombard proverb about having cold feet. There the expression seems to mean being short of money, which is a different meaning. It may be an interesting early relative rather than a direct ancestor.
Theory 3: Soldiers and frozen feet
A popular story says soldiers with frostbitten or freezing feet could not advance and so retreated, giving rise to the idea of cold feet as cowardice. It sounds logical, but there is no clear evidence for it, and the idiom's earliest known uses are not military. Treat it as folk etymology.
The best summary
The idiom was firmly established in American English by around 1900. Similar expressions in German (and possibly elsewhere) may have influenced it. Exact origin: unknown.
Example sentences
Everyday life
- Tom got cold feet the morning of his bungee jump in Queenstown and watched from the platform instead.
- I almost got cold feet about cutting my hair short, but I love it.
- Mia had cold feet about moving from Leeds to London, so she rented first rather than buying.
- Don't get cold feet now; we've already paid for the cooking class.
- The thought of singing karaoke in front of my in-laws gave me cold feet.
- My dad got cold feet about the roller coaster and held our bags.
Weddings and relationships
- Everyone gets a bit of cold feet before a wedding; it doesn't mean you're making a mistake.
- Rumors spread that the bride had cold feet, but she was just stuck in traffic.
- He got cold feet three weeks before the ceremony and asked to postpone.
- If you have cold feet about moving in together, it's better to say so now.
Work and business
- The buyer got cold feet after the survey found damp in the basement.
- Two investors got cold feet over the startup's spending, and the funding round collapsed.
- Hi Ben, I'm getting slightly cold feet about presenting at the Chicago conference. Could we do a practice run?
- The board had cold feet about expanding into Asia during a downturn.
- She accepted the role in Sydney, then got cold feet about relocating with two young children.
- Rising interest rates gave many first-home buyers cold feet.
News and formal style
- The council appeared to get cold feet over the controversial parking scheme and delayed the vote.
- Several sponsors got cold feet after the scandal broke.
- Analysts suggested the government had cold feet about the tax increase ahead of the election.
- Negotiators feared that one side would get cold feet before the agreement was signed.
Casual chat
- Sam: Are you still doing the half-marathon? Priya: Honestly, I've got cold feet. Training has been rough.
- Liam: You're not backing out of the camping trip, are you? Zoe: No cold feet here. I bought a new tent.
- Ava: Did Josh ask for the raise? Noah: He got cold feet at the last second.
- Mum: Nervous about the interview? Ellie: A little. Not cold feet, just butterflies.
Register and tone
“Cold feet” is informal but widely acceptable. It appears in casual conversation, workplace chat and journalism. In very formal writing, like a legal brief or academic paper, you would normally use “reluctance,” “hesitation” or “withdrew from the agreement.”
The tone is usually sympathetic or lightly teasing. Saying someone got cold feet suggests a very human loss of nerve rather than cowardice. That said, in some contexts, such as a politician backing away from a promise, it can carry a note of criticism.
If you are talking to someone who genuinely has doubts about marriage or a major move, be gentle. “It sounds like you're having some cold feet. Do you want to talk about it?” is kind. “You've just got cold feet, get over it” may dismiss real concerns.
Synonyms and related expressions
| Expression | Meaning | Register |
|---|---|---|
| lose your nerve | stop feeling brave enough | neutral |
| chicken out | back out from fear | informal, a bit mocking |
| bottle it | lose courage at the key moment | informal, mainly UK |
| get the jitters | feel nervous | informal |
| have butterflies | feel nervous excitement | informal, gentle |
| have second thoughts | start to doubt a decision | neutral |
| get the wobbles | feel unsteady or unsure | informal, UK/AU |
| back out / pull out | withdraw from a plan | neutral |
| hesitate | pause from uncertainty | neutral to formal |
| have reservations | have doubts | formal |
The main difference: butterflies and jitters describe nerves that do not usually stop you, while chicken out and bottle it describe actually quitting. “Cold feet” sits between, covering both the feeling and the possible withdrawal.
US vs UK vs Australia
The idiom is used in the same way and with the same frequency in all three countries. “Getting cold feet” about a wedding is instantly understood in Texas, Glasgow and Darwin.
The differences appear in the alternatives people choose:
- United States: “Chicken out” and “get the jitters” are very common partners. Americans also use “second thoughts” a lot in business contexts.
- United Kingdom: British speakers often say someone “bottled it” or “lost their bottle” (lost their courage). “Get the wobbles” is also common, including in sport and politics.
- Australia: Australians share the British “wobbles” and frequently say someone “pulled the pin” when they quit or back out of something. “Piked” or “piked out” is also widely used in Australia for backing out of a plan, especially a social one.
There are no spelling differences in the idiom itself.
Common mistakes
❌ He got a cold foot before the wedding. ✅ He got cold feet before the wedding. The idiom is always plural and uses no article.
❌ She got cold feets. ✅ She got cold feet. Feet is already plural.
❌ I have cold feet for the exam. ✅ I have cold feet about the exam. The usual prepositions are about or over.
❌ He's very cold-footed. ✅ He tends to get cold feet. “Cold-footed” is not a standard adjective form of the idiom.
❌ The baby has cold feet about the bath. ✅ The baby doesn't like the bath. Cold feet suggest doubts about a decision or commitment, which does not fit very young children or simple dislikes.
A memory trick
Imagine standing at the edge of a cold swimming pool. You agreed to jump in, but the second your toes touch the water, you pull them back. Cold feet = toes in, then pull out. The image captures the commitment (you walked to the edge), the timing (the last moment) and the hesitation (pulling back).
Practice quiz
- Two days before the concert, the singer got ___ feet and canceled. (cold / frozen)
- Choose the correct preposition: “Many buyers have cold feet ___ the housing market.” (for / about)
- True or false: the soldier-and-frostbite story is the proven origin of the idiom.
- Which British expression means losing your courage at the crucial moment? (a) bottle it (b) pull the pin (c) break a leg
- Correct the error: “She got a cold feet about the job.”
- Which phrase is gentler and does not suggest backing out? (a) chicken out (b) have butterflies (c) pull out
Answers
- cold – the fixed phrase is “cold feet.”
- about – “about” and “over” are the standard prepositions.
- False – it is a popular story with no solid evidence.
- (a) – “bottle it” is a common British expression; “pull the pin” is more Australian for quitting.
- She got cold feet about the job. – no article, plural only.
- (b) – butterflies describe nerves, not withdrawal.
The bottom line
Use “cold feet” when someone has a last-minute loss of nerve about something they had planned or promised, and pair it with get, have or give. It is informal but suitable for most conversations and work chat, and it can be said kindly as easily as critically. For an idiom about facing something unpleasant instead of backing away, see bite the bullet; when the decision is someone else's to make, the ball is in your court fits better. And if what you are feeling is actually a cold coming on, you want under the weather.
Frequently asked questions
What does it mean when someone gets cold feet before a wedding?
It means they start to feel nervous, doubtful or scared about getting married as the day approaches. Sometimes this is ordinary pre-wedding anxiety that passes; sometimes it leads a person to postpone or call off the wedding. The phrase describes the feeling, not the outcome, so someone can have cold feet and still go ahead happily.
Is having cold feet a bad sign?
Not necessarily. Many people feel a wave of doubt before any big commitment, whether it is a marriage, a mortgage or a new job. It is worth paying attention to whether the worry is general nerves about change or a specific, persistent concern about the person or situation, and talking it through with someone you trust.
Is it 'cold feet' or 'cold foot'?
It is always plural: “cold feet.” “Cold foot” is not used as an idiom and will sound like a description of an actual foot. The standard patterns are “get cold feet,” “have cold feet” and “give someone cold feet.”
Can you get cold feet about something small?
You can, but the idiom works best for decisions that feel significant or risky to the speaker, such as a performance, a trip, a purchase or a confrontation. For something tiny, like choosing a sandwich, it would sound exaggerated, which can be fine as a joke.
What is the opposite of getting cold feet?
Common opposites include “take the plunge,” “go through with it,” “hold your nerve” and “stay the course.” If someone overcomes their doubts, you can say they “found their courage” or simply “went for it.”
Where does the phrase 'cold feet' come from?
The exact origin is uncertain. The idiom is recorded in American English from the late nineteenth century, and similar expressions existed earlier in German and possibly Italian. Popular stories about soldiers with frozen feet retreating from battle are not supported by evidence.