lead foot

noun

plural lead feet

: a tendency to drive excessively fast

I'm not going to lie—I have a lead foot when it comes to driving. For some reason, when I'm out on the open road, I can't help but press a bit harder on the accelerator than I should. Just ask my car—she'll tell you.—

Caitlin Moran

… this is not your Aunt Bessie's Camry—unless your Aunt Bessie has a lead foot …—

Mark Kennedy

Examples of lead foot in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web This press car has been driven with lead feet for the past few thousand miles. —

Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 8 Dec. 2023 Despite the lead foot treatment, the average of 2.7 miles/kWh (23 kWh/100 km) matches the EPA efficiency estimate (expressed as 37 kWh/100 miles). —

Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 8 Dec. 2023 View Photos Our lead feet only averaged 19 mpg in the Bimmer, but our 75-mph highway average was an excellent 33 mpg. —

Csaba Csere, Car and Driver, 20 Mar. 2023 Our lead feet only averaged 19 mpg in the Bimmer, but our 75-mph highway average was an excellent 33 mpg. —

Csaba Csere, Car and Driver, 20 Mar. 2023

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