footles

verb

present tense third-person singular of footle
as in dillydallies
to spend time doing nothing spent the morning footling about while others were working

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for footles
  1. kicks back
  2. rests
  3. hangs about
  4. bums
  5. plays
  6. chills
  7. idles
  8. relaxes
Verb
  • Well … that’s where my skepticism kicks back in.
    — Emma Sarappo, The Atlantic, 12 June 2026
  • With their mandatory minicamp wrapping up on Thursday, the Chicago Bears get some time to rest before offseason programming kicks back into gear.
    — Jayna Bardahl, New York Times, 11 June 2026
Definition of kicks back
Verb
  • When the removal cannot be measured directly, the credibility of each credit rests on the model used to calculate it.
    — Alec Luhn, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • And 2026’s biggest Halloween nail trend—a spider nail art manicure—rests in the perfect place between the two.
    — Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of rests
Verb
  • Though the sisters are supposedly first-generation Italian American, no whiff of the old country hangs about Kay; Dorothy will at least spit out a few words in Italian.
    — Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026
  • Turquoise pearl, and azure line the space, and a cylindrical hanging light sculpture made of hundreds of white and gold ceramic fish hangs about the lounge seating area.
    — Kristin Braswell, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Jan. 2026
Definition of hangs about
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
  • Critical thinking really bums them out.
    — Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 13 Mar. 2026
Definition of bums
Verb
  • After the Longhorns stuffed Jadan Baugh for a 2-yard loss plays later, Jones sold a fake, rolled out and connected with tight end Lacota Dippre for a 7-yard score.
    — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026
  • But Peter O’Toole plays your adviser and has these wonderful speeches about the importance of the monarchy and the spirit of the country.
    — Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of plays
Verb
  • With her severe bob and icy demeanor, Miranda chills her underlings to the bone.
    — Jami Ganz, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Sep. 2026
  • The use of rap lyrics as evidence in criminal trials is controversial, with critics saying the practice chills creative expression and allows prosecutors to distort hyperbolic art in ways that reinforce racist stereotypes.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of chills
Verb
  • As your car idles, warm air blown from the top of your dashboard will melt the ice on the outside of the windshield.
    — Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 27 Dec. 2025
  • Security camera footage shows a black vehicle park in front of Café Bernardo, a restaurant, and idles for about two minutes.
    — Madisen Keavy, CBS News, 17 Dec. 2025
Definition of idles
Verb
  • Once normal breathing resumes, parasympathetic influence increases, and the body relaxes big time.
    — Jessica Sulima, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Oct. 2026
  • In the garden, Ball relaxes on a chaise longue with Tsuki and Bizet, the couple’s two miniature poodles.
    — Plum Sykes, Architectural Digest, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of relaxes
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.

Browse Nearby Words

footled
footles
footlights
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Footles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/footles. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of jilt

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
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
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All