English Meaning & Definitions
To run away, flee, or retreat in cowardice or defeat.
- โWhen the argument got too heated, he decided to turn tail and leave.โ
- โInstead of facing the challenge, the invaders turned tail and fled back across the border.โ
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
English Antonyms & Opposites
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for โturn tailโ.
Derived from the animal behavior of turning one's hindquarters away from a threat, typically to run away in fear. The phrase has been used in English since the 16th century, originally capturing the action of frightened animals or fleeing soldiers turning their backs to the enemy.
Picture an animal getting scared, turning its tail around, and sprinting in the opposite direction.
Frequently Asked Questions About โturn tailโ
1. What is the meaning of โturn tailโ in English?
In English, turn tail (idiom) is defined as: โTo run away, flee, or retreat in cowardice or defeat.โ.
2. How do you use โturn tailโ in a sentence?
โWhen the argument got too heated, he decided to turn tail and leave.โ
3. What are English synonyms of โturn tailโ?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of โturn tailโ?
Derived from the animal behavior of turning one's hindquarters away from a threat, typically to run away in fear. The phrase has been used in English since the 16th century, originally capturing the action of frightened animals or fleeing soldiers turning their backs to the enemy.
๐ฌ๐งMore English Words to English
View all English words โThe base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.