English · Phrasal verb Attested

wimp out

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To back out of something because of cowardice.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Rút lui vì hèn nhát

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

⚠ Register: derogatory, informal

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

Your son has been a holy terror! He kept getting into trouble and refusing to mind me! After repeatedly trying to get him to behave, I finally gave up. I wimped out. I have the womb to be a parent, but not the backbone.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “wimp out” mean?

To back out of something because of cowardice.

Is “wimp out” formal or informal?

wimp out is generally derogatory, informal.

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