FOOTLING Synonyms: 128 Similar and Opposite Words

footling 1 of 2

adjective

ˈfü-tᵊl-iŋ

Definition of footling

as in nominal

so small or unimportant as to warrant little or no attention the assistant's job was to shield the president from such footling problems

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

footling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of footle

as in dawdling

to spend time doing nothing spent the morning footling about while others were working

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of footling

Adjective

By comparison with previous Establishment Clause cases, however, this lawsuit looked footling and rather mean. — Barton Swaim, WSJ, 21 June 2019

Recent Examples of Synonyms for footling

Adjective

Not a crisis — yet The negative feedback loop becomes more dangerous when nominal economic growth falls to low levels, causing debt relative to the size of the economy to rise persistently, Reese said.

— Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 5 Oct. 2026
The Iran war, forest fires and thunderstorms are all talking points this week as F1 gears up for a Bahrain GP held 3,750 miles (6,000 kilometers) away from its nominal host nation.

— ABC News, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of nominal

Verb

Gvardiol looked jittery early on, rallied a little to break up some dangerous Porto attacks, but then started giving the ball away again and was booked for a needless pull after being caught dawdling in possession.

— Thom Harris, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Further, there’s no excuse for Congress to continue dawdling on farm policy.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2025

Definition of dawdling

Adjective

Valadao, a Republican from Hanford, has won the seat in six of the last seven elections despite the district’s slight Democratic tilt.

— Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2026
In their paper from September, Minzer and his colleagues proved a slight variant of Khot’s second conjecture that has nearly the same consequences.

— Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of slight

Verb

Kids who used to run to the field excited to play, suddenly started loafing to the field wearing their crocs with their heads buried in their phones.

— Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 June 2026
The pair had been loafing for some time among a grove of apple trees on a private residence in Payson.

— Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 20 Feb. 2026

Definition of loafing

Adjective

Then, the pandemic reduced the schedule to 60 games and Eddie got a piddling 37%.

— Star Tribune, Star Tribune, 3 Dec. 2020
Millions of additional claims are expected to stream in from around the country over the coming weeks, while hiring remains piddling.

— Patricia Cohen, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2020

Definition of piddling

Verb

Diesel engine idling and high-risk industrial activity across the street from homes and parks would bring air, noise and light pollution.

— Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 2026
And Rovell quickly discovered Kobe’s mind was incapable of idling, even during dead-of-night text exchanges.

— Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of idling

Verb

Above that, the expansive upper deck offers lounging areas, sunbeds, a bar, and a Jacuzzi.

— Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 6 Oct. 2026
If lounging by the water gets old, the resort runs a wide range of complimentary activities, from yoga sessions to an aloe scrub–making class.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of lounging

Browse Nearby Words

footlights

footling

footlocker

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Footling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/footling. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of footling

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

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