flat-footed
/ˈflætˌfʊtəd/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.28 in modern English
17
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
Of an animal: having feet which are naturally flat; (specifically) of a horse: having hoofs with soles close to the ground.
adj
Of a person: having the physical condition of flat feet (“a condition where the soles of the feet are in full contact with the ground, either because the arches have collapsed or because they never developed”).
adj
Of a thing (especially (rail transport) a rail): having a flat base; flat-bottomed.
adj
Direct, downright, straightforward; also, holding firmly to and maintaining a decision; standing one's ground.
Dated; Informal
verb
simple past and past participle of flat-foot.
Example Sentences
- "Bears are flat-footed animals."
- "[T]here have ben novv of late, Serpents knovvn flat-footed like Geeſe."
- "Pelicans are large flat-footed Fovvls, almoſt as big as Geeſe, and their Feathers in colour like them: […]"
- "He claimed that Jews walk flatfooted like a camel—including me."
- "[T]he volunteer from the 9th company was shot because he wouldn't advance and made the excuse that he had swollen legs and was flat-footed."
- "The figure came up and squatted flatfooted on his haunches next to Patsy. In the dim glow of starlight and streetlight he saw a wrinkled face and a silvery goatee."
Etymology
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈflætˌfʊtəd/
- British English: /ˌflætˈfʊtɪd/
Usage
Inflected Forms
more flat-footed (comparative)
most flat-footed (superlative)