acovardar

Portuguese

From a- +‎ covarde (“coward”) +‎ -ar.

(Brazil) IPA^(key): /a.ko.vaʁˈda(ʁ)/ [a.ko.vaɦˈda(h)]
- (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /a.ko.vaɾˈda(ɾ)/
- (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /a.ko.vaʁˈda(ʁ)/ [a.ko.vaʁˈda(χ)]
- (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /a.ko.vaɻˈda(ɻ)/

(Portugal) IPA^(key): /ɐ.ku.vɐɾˈdaɾ/ [ɐ.ku.vɐɾˈðaɾ]
- (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ɐ.ku.bɐɾˈdaɾ/ [ɐ.ku.βɐɾˈðaɾ]
- (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ɐ.ku.vɐɾˈda.ɾi/ [ɐ.ku.vɐɾˈða.ɾi]

acovardar (first-person singular present acovardo, first-person singular preterite acovardei, past participle acovardado)

(transitive) to make someone lose their courage; to frighten
Synonyms: assustar, amedrontar

As ameaças de processo me acovardaram.
The threats to sue frightened me.
(pronominal) to lose one’s courage; to chicken out
Synonym: amarelar

Eu queria pular, mas me acovardei.
I wanted to jump, but I chickened out.

Conjugation of acovardar (See Appendix:Portuguese verbs)

¹Brazilian Portuguese.
²European Portuguese.