临阵退缩

Traditional form:

臨陣退縮

Pinyin (reading):

línzhèntuìsuō

Definitions:

• to shrink back as the time for battle approaches (idiom)
• to get cold feet

Characters:

• 临 - to draw near, to approach; to descend
• 阵 - row, column; ranks, troop formation
• 退 - to retreat, to step back, to withdraw
• 缩 - to withdraw, to shrink, to pull back; abbreviation

Traditional characters:

• 臨 - to draw near, to approach; to descend
• 陣 - row, column; ranks, troop formation
• 退 - to retreat, to step back, to withdraw
• 縮 - to withdraw, to shrink, to pull back; abbreviation