flat-footed Meaning & Definition
What Does Flat-Footed Mean?
As an adjective, flat-footed means Of an animal: having feet which are naturally flat; of a horse: having hoofs with soles close to the ground. It is also used to mean Of a person: having the physical condition of flat feet (“a condition where the soles of the feet are in full contact with the ground, either because the arches have collapsed or because they never developed”). As a verb, it means simple past and past participle of flat-foot.
Quick Facts About Flat-Footed
| Part of speech | adjective, verb |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˌflætˈfʊtɪd/ |
| Synonyms | direct, unready and footed |
| Comparative / superlative | more flat-footed, most flat-footed |
Flat-Footed Definition (Adjective)
- Of an animal: having feet which are naturally flat; of a horse: having hoofs with soles close to the ground.
Bears are flat-footed animals.
- Of a person: having the physical condition of flat feet (“a condition where the soles of the feet are in full contact with the ground, either because the arches have collapsed or because they never developed”).
- Of a thing (especially a rail): having a flat base; flat-bottomed.
- Blunt and unsubtle; lacking finesse; clumsy.
They were caught flat-footed when Clancy filed to enter the race.
- Unprepared, unready.
They were caught flat-footed when Clancy filed to enter the race.
- Direct, downright, straightforward; also, holding firmly to and maintaining a decision; standing one's ground.
Flat-Footed as a Verb
- simple past and past participle of flat-foot.
Synonyms of Flat-Footed
Flat-footed synonyms and antonyms →Flat-Footed in a Sentence
Bears are flat-footed animals.
They were caught flat-footed when Clancy filed to enter the race.
Word Forms & Grammar
flat-footed (comparative more flat-footed, superlative most flat-footed)
flat-footed
Words That Rhyme With Flat-Footed
Origin of Flat-Footed
Origin 1: From flat (adjective) + footed (adjective).[1]
Origin 2: From flat-foot + -ed (suffix forming past tense forms of regular verbs).
Questions People Ask About Flat-Footed
Is flat-footed an adjective or a verb?
Flat-footed is mainly used as an adjective, but it can also be used as a verb.
What is another word for flat-footed?
Close synonyms of flat-footed are direct, unready and footed. See the full list of flat-footed synonyms and antonyms.
What are the comparative and superlative forms of flat-footed?
The comparative form is more flat-footed and the superlative form is most flat-footed.