as in to veg out
to spend time doing nothing
spent the morning footling about while others were working
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Recent Examples of footle
Get our daily newsletter Yet Mr Schwarzman avoids footling with life’s foot-soldiers for a reason.
—
The Economist, 19 Sep. 2019
The Economist, 19 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for footle
Verb
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Just take care of your[self], and veg out.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Jan. 2026
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This set is damn near professional-wear, with a blazer-style top and contrast piping for those who like to veg out with dignity.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
10 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Turquoise pearl, and azure line the space, and a cylindrical hanging light sculpture made of hundreds of white and gold ceramic fish hangs about the lounge seating area.—
Kristin Braswell,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Jan. 2026
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The hot air just hangs about, causing the dish to cook unevenly with some spots nearly raw and others burnt.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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According to his 18-page plea agreement with prosecutors, Krneta agreed to kick back 5% of any work billed to McCook to Tobolski in 2011 in exchange for the mayor’s help landing new business.—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
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Before or after a treatment, kick back in the crystal room, or unwind further in the sauna, steam pool, or indoor plunge pool.—
Megan Spurrell,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This Herseas swimsuit is budget friendly, comes in a ton of colors and patterns, and has enough style and support for lounging or doing activities.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Travel + Leisure,
21 Feb. 2026
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Women and men meet downstairs in a large social area where people may lounge on textured leather benches.—
Jennifer Weil,
Footwear News,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Then Jason and Thor shower together, each lathering the other’s back and bums up with fewer orgasms than an old Herbal Essences commercial.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
4 Feb. 2026
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Rittenhouse admits to initially being bummed out to not be the murderer, only to quickly come around to preferring this outcome.—
Derek Lawrence,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The nurses, teachers, soldiers and everyone else on her massage table, resting up to go at it again.—
Danielle Paquette The Washington Post,
Arkansas Online,
17 Feb. 2026
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Doctors advised Harrington to rest for four to six weeks and this is the fourth.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Takaichi also promised to speed the restart of reactors idled since the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster in 2011.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
20 Feb. 2026
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The car, however, has a feature that automatically turns off the engine after one hour of idling.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Meanwhile, the head of the vaccines arm, Vinay Prasad, has made unilateral policy changes that could limit access to certain shots, while also chilling investment in the sector.—
Lisa Jarvis,
Mercury News,
21 Feb. 2026
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Serve immediately or chill it for up to 24 hours in an airtight container.—
Nellah Bailey McGough,
Southern Living,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Footle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/footle. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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