footle

verb

ˈfü-tᵊl How to pronounce footle (audio)
Definition of footlenext
as in to veg out
to spend time doing nothing spent the morning footling about while others were working

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 footle Last year an American startup called Swarm Technologies paid a footling $900,000 fine for sending four tiny satellites into orbit on an Indian rocket, having been denied permission to do so by the US Federal Communications Commission. — The Economist, 17 July 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for footle
  1. veg out
  2. hang about
  3. kick back
  4. lounge
  5. bum
  6. rest
  7. idle
  8. relax
Verb
  • Just take care of your[self], and veg out.
    — Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 14 Jan. 2026
  • This set is damn near professional-wear, with a blazer-style top and contrast piping for those who like to veg out with dignity.
    — Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 10 Dec. 2025
Definition of veg out
Verb
  • President James Garfield’s assassin, Charles Guiteau, died by hanging about five months after he was convicted of murder.
    — USA Today, USA Today, 17 June 2026
  • On Monday, May 18, a 7%-illuminated crescent will hang about two degrees from Venus, with Jupiter about 20 degrees above.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 15 May 2026
Definition of hang about
Verb
  • In one such report, a single tear-gas cannister kicked back was recorded as forty-four assaults.
    — Emily Witt, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • This oversized, best-selling sectional has deep seating and a chaise that gives you plenty of space to kick back for movie nights and afternoon naps.
    — Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of kick back
Verb
  • To sweeten the deal, simple assembly gets you to the lounging part faster.
    — Jeaneen Russell, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Once, Navarrete represented a client virtually from a hotel room, a work jacket over her swimsuit while the rest of her family lounged at the beach.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of lounge
Verb
  • The joy Lisa has with her RHUGT cast compared with the dread her RHOSLC cast seems to bring her really bums me out — especially because of how much of this trip is championing the sisterhood of Housewives.
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026
  • My conversation partner returned, somehow unable to bum even a single cigarette from anyone at this party.
    — Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 July 2026
Definition of bum
Verb
  • McGowan remembers one visit when Pearl gently rested her head in a woman’s lap at a senior facility and kept returning to her throughout the visit.
    — Lauren Paige Richeson, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • But as Bengals fans know all too well, this season rests on whether Burrow can stay healthy.
    — Takashi Williams, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of rest
Verb
  • Residents described idling in traffic as roads became jammed with evacuees.
    — Christopher Cann, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The gunshot woke up a neighbor, who the Game Commission said saw the truck idling near where the carcass was found the next morning.
    — Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of idle
Verb
  • Direct flights have resumed between India and China, a few old Silk Road trade routes have opened, and in March India relaxed rules around investment from Beijing.
    — Evelyn Cheng,Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Fences, hedges, noise machines, and relaxing music can all help.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of relax

Browse Nearby Words

foot (it)
footle
footled
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Footle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/footle. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of matriculate

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All