footling

adjective

foo·​tling ˈfü-tᵊl-iŋ  ˈfüt-liŋ 

1

: lacking judgment or ability : inept

footling amateurs who understand nothing

—E. R. Bentley

2

: lacking use or value : trivial

footling matters

Synonyms

• chicken
• de minimis
• inconsequential
• inconsiderable
• insignificant
• measly
• Mickey Mouse
• minute
• negligible
• niggling
• no-account
• nominal
• paltry
• peanut
• petty
• picayune
• piddling
• piddly
• piffling
• pimping
• slight
• trifling
• trivial

Examples of footling in a Sentence

the assistant's job was to shield the president from such footling problems

Recent Examples on the Web

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

Word History

Etymology

footle

First Known Use

1888, in the meaning defined at sense 2