Question from English Language & Usage on Stack Exchange
I’m looking for a word that implies that one intended to do something but then didn’t due to being afraid. Like someone who never asks out a person of interest because of the fears of rejection or loss of a friend. Hesitate is close, but to me it implies that the action will happen eventually, and I want the word to mean that the person never goes through with it because he or she is so afraid (its synonyms seem to have the same implications). Is there a word in English that means a complete failure to go through with something out of fear?
My answer
[Read, comment, and vote on my answer at Stack Exchange]
- Ahmed was paralyzed by fear.
- The prospect of talking to her professor haunted Janice.
- Cowed and defeated, the soldiers returned to their bunker.
- Trembling, ashamed, broken, and brokenhearted, Peter retreated to the safety of his books.
- Pacing, sitting, standing, fretting, cursing the rain: he could find no solace for his ambivalence and no justification for his cowardice.
I hope those provide some inspiration.
