Meaning & use
Quailed
Last updated
Flinched or lost courage out of fear.
See it in a sentence
He quailed at the sight of the approaching storm.
She quailed under her boss's harsh criticism but said nothing.
A note on using this word
Despite the spelling, this verb is unrelated to the bird 'quail'; it comes from an older word meaning to lose heart.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
perseveredstood firm
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