- having flatfoot
- Brit informal
- clumsy or awkward
- downright and uncompromising
- informal off guard or unawares (often in the phrase catch flat-footed)
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
flat•foot•ed /ˈflætˌfʊtɪd/USA pronunciation
adj. firm;
explicit;
definite:a flatfooted denial.
Idioms
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- affected with flatfoot.
explicit;
definite:a flatfooted denial.
- catch (someone) flatfooted, catch someone unprepared or by surprise:This latest scandal caught him flatfooted.
flat•foot•ed
(flat′fŏŏt′id),USA pronunciation adj.
flat′foot′ed•ly, adv.
flat′foot′ed•ness, n.
- Pathologyhaving flatfeet.
- taking or showing an uncompromising stand in a matter;
firm and explicit:a flatfooted denial. - clumsy or plodding;
maladroit:flatfooted writing. - Idioms catch one flatfooted, to catch one unprepared;
surprise:The amount of the bill caught us flatfooted.
- flatfoot + -ed3 1595–1605
flat′foot′ed•ness, n.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
flat-footed /ˌflætˈfʊtɪd/ adj