footle

1 of 2

verb

foo·​tle ˈfü-tᵊl 

footled; footling ˈfü-tᵊl-iŋ  ˈfüt-liŋ 

intransitive verb

1

: to talk or act foolishly

2

: to waste time : trifle, fool

footle noun

footler

ˈfü-tᵊl-ər 

ˈfüt-lər

noun

footler

2 of 2

noun

foo·​tler |tᵊlə(r) 

|t(ᵊ)lə-

plural -s

: one that footles : trifler

unless a writer is quite ruthless with these amiable footlers

—New York Herald Tribune

Did you know?

Footle will be more familiar to speakers of British English than it is to speakers of American English. Its likely source is the seldom-used footer, meaning "to waste time." That word is etymologically connected with fouter (also spelled foutra), a word referring to something of little value or someone worthless or bungling. But the link between footle and footer is speculative. What we can say with confidence is that footle is a verb of 19th century origin that—along with the derivative adjective footling (as in "a footling amateur")—is still apt when discussing foolish or trifling people or things.

Synonyms of footle

Verb

• veg out
• goof (off)
• kill time
• lazy
• hang about
• kick back
• hack (around)
• lounge
• hang (around or out)
• bum
• rest
• idle
• chill
• relax
• play
• loaf
• stroll

Examples of footle in a Sentence

Verb

spent the morning footling about while others were working

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Get our daily newsletter Yet Mr Schwarzman avoids footling with life’s foot-soldiers for a reason. — The Economist, 19 Sep. 2019

Word History

Etymology

Verb

probably alteration of footer to waste time

First Known Use

Verb

1891, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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