Flatfooted Definition & Meaning

British

Idioms

Other Word Forms

Examples

Synonyms flat-footed British / ˌflætˈfʊtɪd /

adjective

1. having flatfoot

2. informal

   1. clumsy or awkward

   2. downright and uncompromising

3. informal off guard or unawares (often in the phrase catch flat-footed )

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 flat-footed Idioms

1. see caught flat-footed.

Other Word Forms

• flat-footedly adverb
• flat-footedness noun

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“And the city got caught flat-footed trying to keep up.”

From The Wall Street Journal

They were flat and flat-footed from the beginning, surrendering a 75-yard touchdown pass on Houston’s first possession and a 43-yard touchdown pass on the second.

From Los Angeles Times

Caught flat-footed, Google declared its own “code red” that year as it raced to catch up.

From The Wall Street Journal

The startup was caught flat-footed after the viral release of ChatGPT, which gave OpenAI a giant user base and a lengthy head start on sales.

From The Wall Street Journal

Gomez raced clear of the flat-footed Newcastle defence and fired against the near post.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.