Footling — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb /ˈfü-tᵊl-iŋ/ foo·tling

Meaning & Definition of Footling

Footling (adjective)

  1. lacking judgment or ability, inept
  2. lacking use or value, trivial

Footling (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. so small or unimportant as to warrant little or no attention

    "the assistant's job was to shield the president from such footling problems"

    similar: chicken, de minimis, inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, measly, Mickey Mouse, minute, negligible, niggling, no-account, nominal, paltry, peanut, petty, picayune, piddling, piddly, piffling, pimping, slight, trifling, trivial
    related: inferior, mean, imperceptible, inappreciable, little, puny, tiny, hairsplitting, nitpicking, pettifogging, quibbling, one-horse, small-fry, two-bit
    opposite: big, consequential, considerable, important, material, significant
    near: serious, substantial, weighty, eventful, momentous, pivotal, conspicuous, noteworthy, outstanding, prominent, remarkable, striking, appreciable, discernible, measurable

Footling (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to spend time doing nothing

    "spent the morning footling about while others were working"

    similar: bumming, chilling, dallying, dawdling, dillydallying, droning, goofing (off), hacking (around), hanging about (British), hanging (around or out), idling, kicking around, kicking back, lazing, lazying, loafing, lolling, lounging, vegging out, killing time, twiddling one's thumbs
    related: fiddling (around), fooling, messing, monkeying, mucking, piddling, playing, pottering (around), puttering (around), trifling, dozing, estivating, hibernating, lagging, lingering, loitering, poking, relaxing, resting, tarrying, ambling, moseying, sauntering, strolling, swanning, furloughing, goldbricking, malingering, truanting
    near: drudging, grinding, grubbing, humping, hustling, laboring, moiling, pegging, plodding, plowing, plugging, slaving, sweating, toiling, travailing, working, applying, buckling (down), exerting, putting out

Related Entry: Footle (verb)

Footle is a different word from Footling. The synonyms below are for footle, not for footling.

  1. to spend time doing nothing

    "spent the morning footling about while others were working"

    similar: bum, chill, dally, dawdle, dillydally, drone, goof (off), hack (around), hang (around or out), hang about (British), idle, kick around, kick back, laze, lazy, loaf, loll, lounge, veg out, kill time, twiddle one's thumbs
    related: fiddle (around), fool, mess, monkey, muck, piddle, play, potter (around), putter (around), trifle, doze, estivate, hibernate, lag, linger, loiter, poke, relax, rest, tarry, amble, mosey, saunter, stroll, swan, furlough, goldbrick, malinger, truant
    near: drudge, grind, grub, hump, hustle, labor, moil, peg, plod, plow, plug, slave, sweat, toil, travail, work, apply, buckle (down), exert, put out

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Footling

The most common words with a similar meaning to Footling:

British: hanging about
chicken, de minimis, inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, measly, Mickey Mouse, minute, negligible, niggling, no-account, nominal, paltry, peanut, petty, picayune, piddling, piddly, piffling, pimping, slight, trifling, trivial, bumming, chilling, dallying, dawdling, dillydallying, droning, goofing (off), hacking (around), hanging (around or out), idling, kicking around, kicking back, lazing, lazying, loafing, lolling, lounging

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Footling

Words with the opposite meaning of Footling:

big, consequential, considerable, important, material, significant

Related Words for Footling

inferior, mean, imperceptible, inappreciable, little, puny, tiny, hairsplitting, nitpicking, pettifogging, quibbling, one-horse, small-fry, two-bit, fiddling (around), fooling, messing, monkeying, mucking, playing, pottering (around), puttering (around), dozing, estivating, hibernating, lagging, lingering, loitering, poking, relaxing

Near Antonyms of Footling

serious, substantial, weighty, eventful, momentous, pivotal, conspicuous, noteworthy, outstanding, prominent, remarkable, striking, appreciable, discernible, measurable, drudging, grinding, grubbing, humping, hustling, laboring, moiling, pegging, plodding, plowing, plugging, slaving, sweating, toiling, travailing

Origin & Etymology of Footling

footle

First known use: 1888

Frequently Asked Questions about Footling

What does "Footling" mean?

"Footling" means lacking judgment or ability, inept. As an an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: lacking judgment or ability, inept. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Footling"?

Other words for "Footling" include chicken, de minimis, inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, measly, Mickey Mouse and minute. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Footling" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Footling"?

There are 85 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Footling". Common alternatives include chicken, de minimis, inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, measly, Mickey Mouse, minute, negligible and niggling.

What is the opposite of "Footling"?

Antonyms of "Footling" include big, consequential, considerable, important, material and significant. Near antonyms include serious, substantial, weighty and eventful.

How do you use "Footling" in a sentence?

Examples of "Footling" in a sentence: "the assistant's job was to shield the president from such footling problems"; "spent the morning footling about while others were working".

Is "Footling" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Footling" can be used as an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Footling"?

"Footling" is pronounced /ˈfü-tᵊl-iŋ/ and divided into syllables as foo·tling.

What is the origin of the word "Footling"?

"Footling" comes from footle. First known use: 1888.