畏缩

• Pinyin: wèi suō
• Hanzi breakdown: 畏 = 田 + 鬼 (fear); 缩 = 纟+ 宿 (shrink, contract)

Meaning

To flinch; to shrink back; to recoil out of fear or timidity. Describes a psychological retreat in the face of pressure, difficulty, or confrontation.

Used to describe hesitant or cowardly behavior when facing challenges or authority. Distinguished from 萎缩 (physical withering or economic contraction) by its exclusively psychological sense. Often used in contrast with courage or resolve.

Examples

1. 面对困难，我们不能畏缩不前。 When we face difficulties, we can’t shrink back.
2. 他在领导严厉的质问下明显畏缩了起来。 Under the leader’s harsh questioning, he clearly began to shrink back.
3. 这种畏缩的态度只会让你错失更多的机会。 This timid, shrinking attitude will only cause you to miss more opportunities.

Usage Guide

Context: emotional, workplace, conversation

Tone: disapproving

Do Say

• 在压力面前畏缩退让，只会让对方得寸进尺，步步紧逼。(Flinching and retreating under pressure will only embolden the other side to push further.)
• 他在关键时刻畏缩了，导致这次谈判最终以失败告终。(He shrank back at a critical moment, causing the negotiation to end in failure.)

Don't Say

• 肿瘤经治疗已经畏缩了 — use 萎缩 or 缩小 for physical shrinkage such as tumor reduction; 畏缩 refers exclusively to psychological flinching driven by fear

Origin & History

畏 (fear, awe) + 缩 (shrink, contract) — shrinking back because of fear

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal