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footy

footy

7 7.7
A casual name for the game of football, like soccer or Australian rules
  • noun
  • Australian
: fútbol
  • You could only get this at grassroots footy.
  • watch the footy
  • footy game
  • play footy

So, you know, I'll take a friend as well to footy training.

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Examples

  • I can't believe I'm missing the footy for this party!

    Dog Soldiers (2002)

  • Australians will often tell overseas visitors that Aussie Rules Football, or simply 'footy,' is like a religion.

    Blog text (7)

  • Do you want to watch the footy after?

    Strangerland (2015)

  • Anyone tells you local footy is dead...

    Blinder (2013)

  • My footy days are over.

    An Awfully Big Adventure (1995)

  • We have a footy team and a choir.

    December Boys (2007)

  • That was when footy was played on a Saturday arvo.

    Crackerjack (2002)

  • You follow the footy?

    Blog text (9)

  • MakkaFek: I came out with the Tongan Sevens side, but pulled out because I wanted to stay and study, and also play some footy.

    Blog text (20)

  • Do you want to watch the footy after the game?

Synonyms

association football
vsfooty
1 1.4

A team sport where two teams of eleven kick a ball into the other team's goal

is an informal name that also refers to this and another national code
Aussie rules football
vsfooty
  • Australian
1 6.6

A fast Australian game where teams kick an oval ball between goalposts to score

is an informal name that also refers to this distinct Australian code
footballing
vsfooty
  • UK
1 2.5

An activity of playing football in teams, usually as a sport

is an informal noun for the sport rather than the playing activity

Surface Forms

footy singular
footies plural

Morphology

footy = football (transparent) = foot + y

The informal sense is a common clipping/diminutive of 'football' used in everyday speech, so learners familiar with 'football' and informal '-y' formations will readily understand it.

Etymology

Footy for the sport comes from football with the ending -y to make a short, friendly name, so footy is an informal way to talk about football matches or the game, especially in Australia.