as in to veg out
to spend time doing nothing
spent the morning footling about while others were working
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Recent Examples of footle
Get our daily newsletter Yet Mr Schwarzman avoids footling with life’s foot-soldiers for a reason.
—
The Economist, 19 Sep. 2019
Last year an American startup called Swarm Technologies paid a footling $900,000 fine for sending four tiny satellites into orbit on an Indian rocket, having been denied permission to do so by the US Federal Communications Commission.
—The Economist, 17 July 2019
The Economist, 19 Sep. 2019
Last year an American startup called Swarm Technologies paid a footling $900,000 fine for sending four tiny satellites into orbit on an Indian rocket, having been denied permission to do so by the US Federal Communications Commission.
—The Economist, 17 July 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for footle
Verb
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And while humans tend to veg out on the couch, canines typically only watch for short periods.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 May 2025
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Making the choice to be social is especially difficult at the end of an exhausting day when your impulse may be to veg out on the couch.—
Allie Volpe,
Vox,
7 Dec. 2018
Verb
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Sizes Tablecloths should hang about 8-16 inches on each side for formal dining and about 3-6 inches on each side for casual dining.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
10 June 2025
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Most asteroids hang about in the Mars to Jupiter region, and the ones near Earth obviously hang about a bit closer.—
Dana Taylor,
USA TODAY,
2 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Chris Lake kicks back in a sprawling floor of a towering Los Angeles office building used mostly for storage, selecting one of the dozens of office chairs crowding the industrial space with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the city’s west side.—
Katie Bain,
Billboard,
11 July 2025
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Well, maybe a nice shower and a piece of pie, but after the shower and the pie, kick back and relax.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
Verb
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Days spent lounging on the beach are typically followed by oceanside drinks and dancing at the lively, unpretentious Paddy’s Beach Club or the Windjammer Surf Bar.—
Bob Curley,
AFAR Media,
8 July 2025
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In early June, Bieber posted a cute snap of himself lounging with his feet up as his son held onto his leg.—
Kayla Grant,
People.com,
7 July 2025
Verb
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Paired with the gray-ish green color palette, sparse decor, and dark atmospherics in the Institute itself, the bleak vibes may be enough to turn some viewers off for good, especially those horror purists who tune in hoping to be terrified rather than just bummed out.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
13 July 2025
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In a lot of ways obviously, devastated and bummed out.—
Mike Fitzpatrick,
Baltimore Sun,
5 July 2025
Verb
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In the photo, Spieth and his children's hands can be seen touching the little one, who is resting while wearing a blue onesie with trucks printed on it.—
Kayla Grant,
People.com,
14 July 2025
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After taking a little extra time to rest up, the three-time Grammy winner kicked off her Las Vegas residency with a bang on Friday night.—
Shania Russell,
EW.com,
13 July 2025
Verb
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Anyone who filmed the idling trucks could claim a portion of the money collected through the fine.—
Clare Sestanovich,
New Yorker,
13 July 2025
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The clothing description of the suspect that Romero provided his fellow officers didn’t match a description provided by a witness who spotted the shooter open fire, then run into an idling car that sped him away from the shooting scene, according to Fletcher.—
City News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 July 2025
Verb
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Add ingredients to an Old Fashioned glass with a big piece of ice and stir 10 to 15 seconds to chill.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
11 July 2025
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Fill the glass with ice, and repeat with the other glass. 3: Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, stir together the Earl Grey simple syrup, lime juice and smoked paprika until thoroughly chilled and diluted, about 15 seconds.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Footle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/footle. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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