footsie

noun

foot·​sie ˈfu̇t-sē 

variants or footsy

1

: a furtive flirtatious caressing with the feet (as under a table)

2

: a usually surreptitious cooperation or negotiation with someone supposed hostile to one's own interests

—usually used with play

We wish they were … not buying off or playing footsie with the terrorists …

—Meg Greenfield

Examples of footsie in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Specification gaming revolves around the AI playing footsies with satisfying the task by appearing to be compliant while opting instead for subversion. — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2026

To play polite footsie with him over the coming months is foolhardy. — Patrick McAvoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Nov. 2025

Hero styles will include a double-strap scoop bra, a footsie legging, a mini short, a two-inch boy short, a long-sleeve wrap top, side-snap sweatpants and an oversize track jacket. — Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 22 Sep. 2025

The result is a frenzied game of footsie that can produce suboptimal deals, or none at all, but ties everyone in knots for a while. — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 24 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

diminutive of foot entry 1

First Known Use

1944, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing footsie

• play footsie

Rhymes for footsie

• be
• bee
• bree
• cree
• fee
• flea
• flee
• free
• gee
• ghee
• glee
• he