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 )

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flat-footed Idioms  

1. see caught flat-footed.

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Other Word Forms

• flat-footedly adverb
• flat-footedness noun

Example Sentences

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

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