verb
- to lose courage or confidence; to shrink back in fear
Usage: past tense of ‘quail’
Examples
- She quailed at the thought of speaking in public.
- The soldiers quailed before the enemy’s advance.
- He quailed when his boss called him into the office.
- The dog quailed at the sound of thunder.
- Many investors quailed during the market crash.
- The witness quailed under the lawyer’s harsh questioning.