The phrase "funking out" is often used to describe a person who is feeling anxious, scared or overwhelmed. There are several synonyms for this phrase that can be used to express the same sentiment, including chickening out, panicking, losing one's nerve, backing down, or wimping out. These phrases can be used interchangeably depending on the situation to describe someone who is too afraid or hesitant to confront a challenge. The phrase "funking out" has its roots in the 1960s and 1970s era, where it was used to describe the loss of courage or failure to muster the necessary confidence to perform a task.