heavy-footed
/'hevi'futid/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adjective: 1. Lacking grace or agility in movement: Describes a manner of walking or moving that appears clumsy, slow, and without lightness or ease. It often implies a lack of nimbleness or a ponderous quality. 2. Metaphorically slow or inept: Can describe actions, processes, or styles that are plodding, unsubtle, or lacking in finesse.
Usage Examples
Literal Movement:
- The security guard's heavy-footed pace made it easy to hear him coming.
- After the long hike, we were all heavy-footed and slow on the walk back to the car.
Metaphorical Use:
- The company's heavy-footed response to the crisis damaged its reputation.
- His heavy-footed attempts at humor often made people uncomfortable.
Advanced Usage
- "heavy-footedness" (Noun): The quality or state of being heavy-footed.
- The dancer struggled to overcome her natural heavy-footedness.
- Used to critique artistic or literary style:
- The film's direction was criticized for being heavy-footed and overly sentimental.
Variants and Related Words
- Lead-footed (Adjective): Very similar in meaning, often implying slowness or clumsiness. Can also specifically refer to someone who drives a vehicle slowly.
- Flat-footed (Adjective): Literally having flat feet; figuratively can mean unprepared or, in some contexts, similarly lacking agility.
- Plodding (Adjective): Slow, laborious, and lacking in vitality, often used for both literal movement and work pace.
Synonyms
- Clumsy
- Ungainly
- Lumbering
- Ponderous
- Graceless
Antonyms
- Light-footed
- Nimble
- Agile
- Graceful
Related Idioms and Phrases
- To be a bull in a china shop: This idiom describes someone who is very clumsy and careless in a delicate situation, sharing the connotation of a lack of subtlety with "heavy-footed."
- To drag one's feet: This means to delay or be slow to act, which relates to the slow, reluctant quality implied by "heavy-footed" behavior.
Adjective
- (of movement) lacking ease or lightness
- his tired heavy-footed walk