pussyfoot

[ poos-ee-foot ]
See synonyms for pussyfoot on Thesaurus.com
verb (used without object)
  1. to go or move in a stealthy or cautious manner.

  2. to act cautiously or timidly, as if afraid to commit oneself on a point at issue.

noun,plural puss·y·foots.
  1. a person with a catlike, or soft and stealthy, tread.

  2. Chiefly British. a teetotaler or prohibitionist.

Origin of pussyfoot

1
An Americanism dating back to 1890–95; pussy1 + foot

Other words for pussyfoot

Words Nearby pussyfoot

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use pussyfoot in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pussyfoot

pussyfoot

/ (ˈpʊsɪˌfʊt) informal /


verb(intr)
  1. to move about stealthily or warily like a cat

  2. to avoid committing oneself

nounplural -foots
  1. a person who pussyfoots

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012