footling 1 of 2

adjective

ˈfü-tᵊl-iŋ How to pronounce footling (audio)
Definition of footlingnext
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

footling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of footle
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of footling
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
  1. nominal
  2. dawdling
  3. slight
  4. loafing
  5. piddling
  6. strolling
  7. petty
  8. idling
Adjective
  • Current bond yields, which tend to track nominal GDP trends, are still reflecting the rise in inflation that occurred during Covid.
    — Steve H. Hanke, Fortune, 20 July 2026
  • The walls had a nominal utility as fences for the dairy herd that was milked in the great white cow barn, but this was only ever a Gilded Age fantasy of the rustic idyll.
    — Matt Seaton, The Atlantic, 19 July 2026
Definition of nominal
Verb
  • Indeed, Ederson has moments where he can be caught dawdling with the ball, hoping for an opening that doesn’t always arrive.
    — Carl Anka, New York Times, 5 June 2026
  • Further, there’s no excuse for Congress to continue dawdling on farm policy.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2025
Definition of dawdling
Adjective
  • The righty, working with a slight pitch count after a complete game last week, followed two strikeouts in the first inning with five more in his outing.
    — Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Morgan walked into the opening match for SummerSlam Saturday as a slight favorite per Betonline.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of slight
Verb
  • Kids who used to run to the field excited to play, suddenly started loafing to the field wearing their crocs with their heads buried in their phones.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 June 2026
  • The pair had been loafing for some time among a grove of apple trees on a private residence in Payson.
    — Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 20 Feb. 2026
Definition of loafing
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
Definition of piddling
Verb
  • For gardens, Shosei-en is a quiet surprise so close to Kyoto Station that most visitors walk right past it, a strolling garden of ponds, bridges, and teahouses that makes a perfect first or last stop in the city.
    — Shivani Vora, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • In summary, anyone already planning to order a thermal-invisibility cape and spend the evening strolling unnoticed past infrared cameras should put the grappling hook back in the cupboard.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 29 July 2026
Definition of strolling
Adjective
  • His legal team couched the City Council’s move to weaken the mayor’s authority and strip him of privileges as a petty effort to unseat the youngest mayor in the city’s history, and one who has questioned their leadership.
    — Reed Williams, AJC.com, 29 July 2026
  • One Marchand report contained several petty and embarrassing details about McAfee that clearly came from ESPN insiders.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of petty
Verb
  • Video of the confrontation appears to show Nelson idling in a snowy strip mall parking lot in his gray Dodge Ram when another driver in an even larger pickup pulls in beside him.
    — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
  • One aspect that contributed to the gridlock was a number of Waymo's self-driving robotaxis idling on the road as traffic officials tried to remedy the halt in traffic.
    — Noe Padilla, USA Today, 10 July 2026
Definition of idling

Browse Nearby Words

footlights
footling
footlocker
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Cite this Entry

“Footling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/footling. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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