畏缩不前 (wèi suō bù qián) — to hang back in fear; to shrink from advancing due to timidity or cowardice
Definition
A four-character idiom meaning 'to cower and refuse to advance' from fear or timidity. Emphasizes inaction caused by cowardice, stronger than simply 'being afraid'.
idiom
to hang back in fearto shrink from advancing due to timidity or cowardice
Examples
- ，畏缩不前，。Miàn duì kùn nan, wǒ men bù néng wèi suō bù qián, yào yǒng gǎn dì yíng shàng qù.Facing difficulties, we cannot hang back in fear; we must bravely meet them head-on.
- 畏缩不前，。Tā zài guān jiàn shí kè wèi suō bù qián, shī qù le zuì hǎo de jī huì.He hung back in fear at the critical moment and lost the best opportunity.
- 畏缩不前，。Nà xiē wèi suō bù qián de rén, yǒng yuǎn wú fǎ tǐ huì dào chéng gōng de xǐ yuè.Those who hang back in fear will never experience the joy of success.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.