打退堂鼓 (dá) — to back out of a plan or activity; to beat a retreat; to give up halfway
Definition
An idiom for losing courage and giving up partway through — like 'beat a retreat'. Unlike simply saying 放弃, it specifically implies backing out after losing nerve or confidence, not a calm decision.
verb
to back out of a plan or activityto beat a retreatto give up halfway
Examples
- 。Tā gāng kāi shǐ zuò xiàng mù jiù dǎ le tuì táng gǔ.He backed out of the project as soon as he started it.
- ，打退堂鼓。Yù dào kùn nan shí, bú yào qīng yì dá.When facing difficulties, don't easily back out.
- 打退堂鼓，。Dà jiā dōu xiǎng dá, zhǐ yǒu tā jiān chí xià lái le.Everyone wanted to back out, but only he persisted.
Appears in
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