DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT

臨陣退縮

简临阵退缩 · 繁臨陣退縮

Mandarin · pinyin lín zhèn tuì suō

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

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Characters in this entry

臨: Look up this written character
陣: Look up this written character
退: tuì · step back, retreat, withdraw
縮: Look up this written character
临: lín · draw near, approach; descend
阵: zhèn · column, row or file of troops
缩: suō · contract, draw in, reduce

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

2–4–4–1 · lin2 zhen4 tui4 suo1

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Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

臨陣退縮 · find source passages ↗ · 临阵退缩 · find source passages ↗

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