wuss out
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
To fail to do something because of cowardice.
Register: slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
He said he was going to climb that tree, but he wussed out at the last moment.
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).
Advertisement
Ad space — ads help keep Idiomer free. Premium will remove them.
Common questions
What does “wuss out” mean?
To fail to do something because of cowardice.
Is “wuss out” formal or informal?
wuss out is generally slang.
Advertisement
Ad space — ads help keep Idiomer free. Premium will remove them.