Flatfooted Meaning in English
word
Definition
Having feet with little or no arch (literal meaning), or being surprised and unprepared for something (figurative meaning).
Usage & Nuances
Can describe a physical trait (no arch in the foot) or being unprepared or caught by surprise. Common in phrases like 'caught flatfooted.' The figurative meaning is much more frequent in everyday speech.
Spanish: pie plano - desprevenidoPortuguese (BR): pé chato - desprevenidoPortuguese (PT): pé chato - desprevenidoChinese (Simplified): 扁平足 - 措手不及Chinese (Traditional): 扁平足 - 措手不及Hindi: चपटा पैर - अचानक पकड़ा गयाArabic: قدم مسطح - على حين غرةBengali: ফ্ল্যাটফুট (পায়ে খিল না থাকা) - অপ্রস্তুত - হতচকিতRussian: плоскостопый - застигнутый врасплох - неподготовленныйJapanese: 偏平足 - 不意を突かれる - 準備不足Vietnamese: bằng chân bẹt - bị bất ngờ - chưa chuẩn bịKorean: 평발 - 당황한 - 준비가 안 된Turkish: düz taban - hazırlıksız - şaşkınUrdu: چپٹی پاؤں - بے خبر - غیر تیارIndonesian: kaki datar - tidak siap - terkejut
Example Sentences
He has flatfooted arches, so he wears special shoes.
basic
The team was flatfooted when the game began.
basic
She was caught flatfooted by the teacher's question.
basic
I totally got flatfooted by that sudden storm yesterday.
natural
You can't be flatfooted in this fast-paced job.
natural
The police officer moved in, not wanting to be flatfooted by the suspect.
natural