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.

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

Caught flat-footed by 9/11, the CIA requested new authorities as the only way to catch up to the threat.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Wall Street has learned layoffs can be very disruptive and if deal activity picks up, then you can be caught flat-footed.”

From The Wall Street Journal

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.