preparing to flee; ready to run away
Idiomatic expression describing a posture or attitude of being poised to escape, often used figuratively for a hesitant or evasive stance.
He is always ready to run away and unwilling to take on responsible work.
You must not show a hesitant attitude at the negotiating table.
Standard kanji spelling; the most common written form.
Less common variant without the okurigana げ.
Compound of 逃げ (nige, 'fleeing') + 腰 (koshi, 'hips, posture'), literally 'fleeing posture'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word figuratively describes a stance of being ready to escape.