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Synonyms

heavy-footed

American  
[hev-ee-foot-id] / ˈhɛv iˈfʊt ɪd /

adjective

  1. clumsy or ponderous, as in movement or expressiveness.

    music that is heavy-footed and uninspired.


heavy-footed British  

adjective

  1. having a heavy or clumsy tread

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of heavy-footed

First recorded in 1615–25

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.

See Examples For:

“One True Loves” is a lot like the 1940 Cary Grant/Irene Dunne/Randolph Scott screwball classic “My Favorite Wife” — except that it’s heavy-footed and drippy instead of lively and funny.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 19, 2023

It’s apparently by design that England appears ponderous and heavy-footed and deathly afraid that the opposition might stumble into a chance to counter against them.

From Slate Jun. 23, 2021

Posting batches of tickets or three-digit radar-gun readings on social media has become a popular pastime for police precincts, if not a deterrent for heavy-footed scofflaws.

From New York Times Apr. 11, 2020

She came out flat and uptight, heavy-footed, knotted up and short-stroking compared with the magnificent corner-to-corner running of Halep, who has 10 fewer years in her legs.

From Washington Post Jul. 13, 2019

His faith cracked, and for a few days he lacked his bounce, coming back from his morning run without his usual sweaty high, walking around heavy-footed.

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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