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
Derived 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.
It stands to reason the Fed can’t afford to be caught flat-footed on inflation again.
From Barron's • May 20, 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
Unable to trap West Ham with a high press, United were caught flat-footed by an incisive break.
From Barron's • Feb. 10, 2026
From twenty yards out, he pivoted and quickly took the shot, catching the Fugees’ goalie flat-footed.
From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John
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.
