Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
💪 Confident and reliable 🧗 Steady on feet
sure-footed

sure-footed

1 4.0
Able to move steadily on rough or steep ground
  • adjective
  • /ˈʃʊrˌfʊtɪd/
translation icon : firme
  • The water that dripped from the creature's tentacle made the deck slippery, and the normally sure-footed young woman lost her balance as she landed.

Examples

  • He went into his own area of darkness without slowing, sure-footed, remembering the layout of the corridor perfectly and deftly skipping over yet another dwarven body.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • But often it was only Constance, ringing the bell but opening the door before anyone could let her in, crossing the room with the easy confidence of a glossy, sure-footed mare.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • So she was pretty good and pretty sure footed with one or two exceptions until until the end.

  • Even horses change the way they walk, even though much less than, say, the more sure footed animals like goats and donkeys.

  • The orthodoxies that shaped my father's character were reflected in the manner of his walking: slow, sure-footed, unswerving.

    Academic text (2000)

  • The mountain goat is known for being sure-footed, easily navigating steep and rocky cliffs.

  • Hikers appreciate their sure-footed companions, as they confidently traverse the uneven trails.

  • With her sure-footed approach, she skillfully climbed the challenging rock face without stumbling.

Synonyms

surefooted
vssure-footed
5.8

Steady and confident when walking on rough or steep ground

is the hyphenated form used for the same meaning
footsure
vssure-footed
  • Archaic
7.1

Steady when moving and unlikely to trip

is used only for literal physical movement on difficult ground

Antonyms

unstable
80 4.4

Not steady and likely to change, fail, or fall

clumsy
73 1.2

Moving in an awkward, unsteady way that causes accidents

How Steady

sure-footed
1 4.0
balanced
101 1.0
to steady
41 3.4
unsteady
16 3.3
clumsy
73 1.2

Surface Forms

sure-footed positive

Morphology

sure-footed = sure + foot (transparent) = sure + foot + ed

The meaning 'able to walk or move steadily' follows directly from 'sure' + 'foot(ed)' and is predictable from the components.

Etymology

Sure-footed joins sure ('safe' or 'steady') and footed ('having steady feet'). Imagine a goat placing each foot carefully on rocky ground so it does not slip, and you can see why sure-footed describes a person or animal that walks steadily on difficult surfaces.