sure-footed

adjective

sure-foot·​ed ˈshu̇r-ˈfu̇-təd How to pronounce sure-footed (audio)
ˈshər-
: not liable to stumble, fall, or err
sure-footedly adverb
sure-footedness noun

Examples of sure-footed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In her roles, and in her own life, Winslet has moved, sure-footed, from the role of ingénue to the role of the fierce protector. Susan Dominus, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2024 Cha and Pacheco Pardo offer a sure-footed guide to the two countries’ divergent paths and their fraught fraternal relationship. Andrew J. Nathan, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 But when Harrison Butker got the call later in the quarter, the Chiefs’ sure-footed kicker delivered a 52-yard field goal that tied his own record for longest in a Chiefs playoff game. Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 28 Jan. 2024 Kobayashi, who is 65, is small, lithe and sure-footed, with a watchful demeanor. Tom Vanderbilt Josh Robenstone, New York Times, 20 Oct. 2023 Typically sure-footed media titans found themselves on unfamiliar ground — portrayed as out-of-touch corporate fat cats. Meg James and Wendy Lee, Anchorage Daily News, 3 Sep. 2023 At the Martians’ first JV football scrimmage this season at Goodrich High School, about 15 miles southeast of Flint, Rebecca Kilburn sat watching her sure-footed son in cleats that weren’t painful. Susan Bromley, USA TODAY, 1 Sep. 2023 The agility with which Murray structures the narrative around the family at its heart is virtuosic and sure-footed, evidence of a writer at the height of his power deftly shifting perspectives, style and syntax to maximize emotional impact. Jonathan Russell Clark, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2023 The upper is perforated also for max breathability as well as drainage, and the bouncy EVA insole and outsole keep you sure-footed. John Thompson, Men's Health, 26 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sure-footed.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1633, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sure-footed was in 1633

Dictionary Entries Near sure-footed

Cite this Entry

“Sure-footed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sure-footed. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sure-footed

adjective
sure-foot·​ed
ˈshu̇(ə)r-ˈfu̇t-əd
: not likely to stumble or fall
sure-footedly adverb
sure-footedness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on sure-footed

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!