as in nominal
so small or unimportant as to warrant little or no attention
the assistant's job was to shield the president from such footling problems
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in dawdling
to spend time doing nothing
spent the morning footling about while others were working
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of footling
Barton Swaim, WSJ, 21 June 2019
Adjective
By comparison with previous Establishment Clause cases, however, this lawsuit looked footling and rather mean.
—Barton Swaim, WSJ, 21 June 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for footling
Adjective
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Austin Public trains those producers, who, for a nominal fee, gain access to state-of-the-art equipment, studio space and content distribution for their own work.—
Matthew Odam,
Austin American Statesman,
29 Dec. 2025
-
Academic users will be able to access the platform for a nominal fee, while biotech and pharmaceutical companies are charged an annual subscription, which gives them the right to store their data securely, as well as a relatively low per-use charge.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
18 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Further, there’s no excuse for Congress to continue dawdling on farm policy.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Aug. 2025
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Faster pit stops could also help unlock sales for electric two-wheelers, which have been slow to catch on due to dawdling charge times and limited riding range.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
30 Mar. 2023
Adjective
-
Additionally, the Patriots had a slight preference for passing in scoring territory.—
Josh Shepardson,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Fans attending Saturday’s game between the Mavericks and Lakers will notice a slight change in protocol for entering American Airlines Center.—
Mike Curtis,
Dallas Morning News,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Within a few moments, an antlerless deer emerged, loafing along toward Ronnie, completely unalarmed.—
Jim Moore,
Outdoor Life,
8 Oct. 2025
-
She is seen going over the shots planned for the next day and remembering that some loafing around is planned.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Then, the pandemic reduced the schedule to 60 games and Eddie got a piddling 37%.—
Star Tribune,
Star Tribune,
3 Dec. 2020
-
Millions of additional claims are expected to stream in from around the country over the coming weeks, while hiring remains piddling.—
Patricia Cohen,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2020
Verb
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After 2022’s Grammy-winning Harry’s House and its attendant 22-month Love On Tour, Harry Styles all but vanished from public view, with only the occasional pap shot—strolling Rome’s cobblestones or cutting across Hampstead in an ever-expanding collection of sneakerinas—serving as proof of life.—
Daniel Rodgers,
Vogue,
24 Jan. 2026
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Only a few years ago, seeing scores of women strolling around New York City in real animal fur coats would have seemed unimaginable.—
Rachel Tashjian,
CNN Money,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Angel went for a respectful middle-of-the-road jab — complimenting her parenting and resilience, but maligning her for being petty.—
Shamira Ibrahim,
Vulture,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Who is not petty or vindictive.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Later, the women were in a idling vehicle when Brown allegedly left his Jeep, walked toward them and fired at the car, court records show.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
6 Jan. 2026
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David McNew / Getty Images Marquez helped convert Pasadena's fire fleet to renewable diesel fuel so that his crews wouldn't keep breathing in the emissions from idling trucks.—
Kara Finnstrom,
CBS News,
5 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Footling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/footling. Accessed 26 Jan. 2026.
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