verb
zurückweichen
retreat
Sich nach hinten bewegen, weil man Angst hat, unsicher ist oder Platz machen will.
Definition & meaning
The verb zurückweichen primarily means to move backward, to retreat, or to flinch, especially when faced with danger, an unpleasant situation, or a physical threat. It implies a movement away from something or someone.
There are two main interpretations of the word:
- Physical retreat: To physically move back, step back, or withdraw from a position (e.g., soldiers retreating from a battlefield or a person stepping back from a cliff).
- Figurative retreat: To back down, yield, or waver in one's conviction or stance when faced with opposition or an argument.
Grammar & Word origin
- Grammar: It is a strong, inseparable verb. Its principal parts are: zurückweichen (infinitive), wich zurück (past tense), zurückgewichen (past participle). It is used with the auxiliary verb sein to form the perfect tense.
- Word origin: It is a compound word formed from the prefix zurück- (back/backwards) and the verb weichen (to give way/to yield). Weichen originates from the Old High German wihhan, meaning to move or move away.
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonyms
- zurücktreten (to step back)
- zurückweichen (in the sense of yielding)
- fliehen (to flee)
- nachgeben (to give in)
- zurückweichen (as a synonym for backing away)
Antonyms
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Examples
Sie weichen vor der Gefahr nicht zurück.verb
They do not retreat from danger.
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