flat-footed
Britishadjective
-
having flatfoot
-
informal
-
clumsy or awkward
-
downright and uncompromising
-
-
informal off guard or unawares (often in the phrase catch flat-footed )
Other Word Forms
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.
Even as IBM helps its customers adapt to the AI age, it was caught flat-footed by it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026
The cinematography, score and editing all stay flat-footed in deference to its lead.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2026
Wood dictated the tempo across 12 rounds against a frustrated, flat-footed Warrington.
From BBC ● Feb. 21, 2026
Caught flat-footed by the success of that video app, then owned by ByteDance, Instagram launched Reels in August 2020.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 1, 2026
But somehow, after throwing a fit in the starting gate and being left flat-footed at the bell, the colt won his race that day.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
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.
