flat-footed
5
6.7
- adjective
- /ˈflætˌfʊtɪd/
- Informal
- The team was completely caught flat-footed by the sudden change in plans.
- caught flat-footed
- get caught flat-footed
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Watch on YouTubeAnd so I think that's why people felt rather flat footed when the financial crisis, you know, came along.
- And so I think that's why people felt rather flat footed when the financial crisis, you know, came along.
Examples
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I understand that the collapse of the USSR caught just about every US agency flat-footed.
Blog text (3) -
I got caught flat-footed on this one.
Blog text (33) -
The president should not have been caught flat-footed like this, and it should not happen ever again.
Blog text (29) -
Most are going to be caught flat-footed.
Blog text (4) -
And politicians all over the world are being caught flat-footed by it.
Blog text (33) -
Higher oil prices were inevitable, and when they hit, the US was caught flat-footed.
Blog text (19) -
First and foremost, the Left and President Obama were caught completely flat-footed and totally off guard.
Blog text (13) -
Maybe next time you won't get caught flat-footed.
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You never want to get caught flat-footed; we understand, and so that more or less dictates that you keep pressing forward to find out more.
Blog text (29) -
Don't get caught flat-footed.
Synonyms
68
2.8
Not ready for something because the things you need or a plan are missing
2
4.5
Not prepared and slow to understand or react
1
7.5
Caught by surprise and unable to react quickly
Surprised and not ready to deal with a sudden problem
Antonyms
How Prepared
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Flat-footed comes from the image of standing with both feet flat on the ground so you cannot move quickly. A helpful way to remember it is to picture someone surprised and frozen in place, 'unable to react quickly', which is why flat-footed means unprepared.