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
-
Bills for Medicaid recipients are supposed to be sent to Medicaid, not the patients, who typically pay a nominal amount, if anything, for their care.—
Rae Ellen Bichell,
Fortune,
29 Sep. 2025
-
The courts are open to JCCOC members, though guests can accompany for a nominal fee and decide whether to join.—
Greg Mellen,
Oc Register,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Further, there’s no excuse for Congress to continue dawdling on farm policy.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
This marked a slight increase on figures from August, during which time Moscow claimed to have downed 2,786 Ukrainian drones at an average rate of nearly 90 per day.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
1 Oct. 2025
-
International undergraduate enrollment stayed the same, with a slight increase in international freshmen, Miner said.—
David Ferrara,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Understand the difference between roosts, feeds, and loafing spots.—
Alex Robinson,
Outdoor Life,
6 Aug. 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
-
Images shared on social media ranged from brunches and farmers markets to families strolling downtown, to counter the president’s portrayal.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Sep. 2025
-
The autumn months aren’t as crowded as Carnival season, and there is less heat and humidity, which makes strolling around the city even more enjoyable.—
Lisa Cericola,
Southern Living,
28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
In their recommendation, Warner and Kaine said Nachmanoff supervised a team that represented more than 2,500 clients accused of federal violations ranging from petty offenses to capital murder.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Phantom Thread is a masterfully claustrophobic portrayal of a ’50s fashion house, as well as a nuanced depiction of a petty despot ruling over his small kingdom.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The filtration system must be robust enough to perform under stop-and-go driving, prolonged idling and urban pollution while also remaining effective between filter replacements.—
Anan Bishara,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Avoid excessive idling and do not top off when refueling motor vehicles.—
Matthew Robinson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Footling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/footling. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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