Chinese word

退缩

Pronunciation

Pinyintuì suō

Meaning

  • verbshrink back

Example

不要退缩，我们一起去试试。bú yào tuì suō wǒ men yì qǐ qù shì shì

Don't shrink back; let's try it together.

Illustration for 退缩 (shrink back)

More examples

他在最困难的时候选择了退缩，结果错过了机会。tā zài zuì kùn nán de shí hòu xuǎn zé le tuì suō jié guǒ cuò guò le jī huì

He chose to shrink back at the most difficult time and, as a result, missed the opportunity.

Core concept

A person pulls away from a difficult step when fear makes moving forward feel too risky.

Common phrases

  • 退缩不前tuì suō bù qián

    shrink back and fail to advance

  • 对困难退缩duì kùn nán tuì suō

    shrink from difficulties

  • 在压力下退缩zài yā lì xià tuì suō

    shrink under pressure

Similar words

畏缩wèi suō: Becoming tense and shrinking inward when fear prevents a person from stepping forward.
犹豫yóu yù: Pausing without deciding because of uncertainty about what action to take.
退避tuì bì: Pulling away or moving elsewhere to stay clear of danger or a harmful situation.
退却tuì què: Moving backward because of pressure or an attack and giving up ground.

Definition in Chinese

因为畏惧、不愿承担风险而不敢向前或采取行动。yīn wèi wèi jù bú yuàn chéng dān fēng xiǎn ér bù gǎn xiàng qián huò cái qǔ xíng dòng

Word origin

退缩 (tuìsuō, "shrink back") combines 退 (tuì, "move back") + 缩 (suō, "contract"), linking backward movement with the body drawing in under fear.

Usage tips

  • It can describe backing away from a plan, task, or opportunity, not only physically moving backward, which makes it useful in conversations about choices and courage.

Other meanings

  • retreatverb

Opposites

Related words

  • 退缩不前tuì suō bù qiánshrink back and fail to advanceidiom

Word lists with this word