FOOTLE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does footle mean? 

• FOOTLE (verb)
  The verb FOOTLE has 2 senses:

1. be about

2. act foolishly, as by talking nonsense

  Familiarity information: FOOTLE used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• FOOTLE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they footle    ... he / she / it footles   
Past simple: footled   
Past participle: footled   
-ing form: footling   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Be about

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Synonyms:

footle; hang around; lallygag; linger; loaf; loiter; lollygag; lounge; lurk; mess about; mill about; mill around; tarry

Context example:

Who is this man that is hanging around the department?

Hypernyms (to "footle" is one way to...):

be (have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun))

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "footle"):

lurch; prowl (loiter about, with no apparent aim)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Sense 2

Meaning:

Act foolishly, as by talking nonsense

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "footle" is one way to...):

act; behave; do (behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s