feet first
1
5.3
- idiom
- Informal
:
de cabeza
- She approached the new project feet first, eager to dive into the challenges ahead.
- landed feet first
- fell feet first
I don't just jump feet first for any project.
- I don't just jump feet first for any project.
- Always jump in feet first and and then see what the consequences are.
- And when we jump in kind of feet first, we can experience side effects like I just mentioned.
Examples
-
I run straight into it, feet first, face first.
-
And when we jump in kind of feet first, we can experience side effects like I just mentioned.
-
Where Chinese products are competitive, Chinese firms are jumping in feet first.
Academic text (2010) -
After hearing about the exciting opportunity, he jumped in feet first without any hesitation.
-
They entered the competition feet first, fully committed to giving their best effort.
Synonyms
19
3.3
In a way that moves with your face going in front or that shows you act quickly without thinking
1
7.0
Someone acts confidently and takes the lead
Antonyms
How Eager
Surface Forms
Morphology
The literal image — entering or moving with the feet leading (feet + first) — is directly derivable from the constituents, so a learner can infer a physical sense. However, the extension to ‘eagerness, boldness, or acting without hesitation’ is metaphorical and relies on pragmatic inference or prior exposure, making the overall sense only partially predictable.
Etymology
Feet first comes from the simple image of going into something with your feet in front—like jumping into a pool without testing the water. So, because you go in fully and without holding back, feet first means 'with eagerness' or 'without hesitation'.