Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

backfoot

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 1.62 in modern English

Syllables: back-foot
IPA

19

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

2

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To put on the defensive; to put off balance.

Transitive verb

Example Sentences

"Hamlet is bitter, evasive, now backfooting them, now attacking, now genial - their job isn't going to be easy."
"Koizumi's government has been backfooted by the indictment of Horie, the former CEO of Livedoor Co., on charges of violating securities regulations"

Etymology

From back + foot.

Usage

Transitive verb

Inflected Forms

backfoots (present, singular) backfooting (participle, present) backfooted (participle, past) backfooted (past) back-foot (alternative)

Phrases

on the back foot on the back footing

Frequently Paired Words

on the back foot on the back footing

Questions

What does backfoot mean?: To put on the defensive; to put off balance.
Where does backfoot come from?: From back + foot.

How to pronounce backfoot

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “backfoot”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
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Repeat and practice — Say “backfoot” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.