balk
To be unwilling to do somethingTo be unwilling to do something; to refuse to proceed or do or allow something, either in general or only temporarily.
» The police balked the criminal's escape.
Полиция упустила преступника.
Meaning
14 sensesTo be unwilling to do something; to refuse to proceed or do or allow something, either in general or only temporarily.
balked at paying a day's wages for a pencil; he said he would buy her one, but when he saw the price, he balked
(especially)To stop short and refuse to go on or do something (such as jump).
The horse balked.
verweigern, stoppen, scheuen
refuse to comply
To move fitfully, stopping frequently.
To leave or make a balk or balks (ridges) in; to leave a ridge in by leaving partly unploughed.
To stop, check, block (by or as if by an obstacle); to hinder, impede, thwart.
verhindern, stoppen, blockieren
To disappoint, frustrate, or check.
to balk expectation
(intransitive)To make a balk, a deceptive motion to deceive another player.
(obsolete, possibly)To leave heaped up; to heap up in piles.
(obsolete, possibly)To pass over or by (either by chance or intentionally); to avoid in passing.
To pass over or by (either by chance or intentionally); to avoid in passing.
(obsolete, possibly)To omit, miss, or overlook by chance, error, or inadvertance.
übergehen
(obsolete, possibly)To miss intentionally; to avoid, ignore, or shun.
vermeiden
To refuse or fail to use (something), either through error or intentionally.
(obsolete, possibly)To refuse (something).
Examples
6 sentencesThe police balked the criminal's escape.
ruПолиция упустила преступника.
The horse balked at the jump.
ruЛошадь заартачилась перед барьером.
deDas Pferd scheute am Hindernis.
The horse balked and threw the tall rider.
He balked at the suggestion that he give ten percent of his income to charity.
ruОн не согласился с предложением отдавать десять процентов от собственного дохода на благотворительность.
Iran balks at release of American woman.
Translations
3 languagesBy meaning 4
Origin
From Middle English balke, from Old English balca, either from or influenced by Old NorseFrom Middle English balke, from Old English balca, either from or influenced by Old Norse bálkr (“partition, ridge of land”), from Proto-Germanic *balkô. Cognate with Dutch balk (“balk”), German Balken (“balk”), Italian balcone (“balcony”).
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
balks, balking, balked, balkedSynonyms
13 synonymsWord family
5 related wordsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle