pussyfoot

verb

pussy·​foot ˈpu̇-sē-ˌfu̇t 

pussyfooted; pussyfooting; pussyfoots

intransitive verb

1

: to tread or move warily or stealthily

2

: to refrain from committing oneself

pussyfooter noun

Synonyms

• equivocate
• fudge
• hedge
• tergiversate
• waffle
• weasel

Examples of pussyfoot in a Sentence

He should stop pussyfooting and tell us what he wants to do.

politicians who try to pussyfoot around hot-button issues

Recent Examples on the Web

In an interview that aired on NBC News this week, DeSantis for the first time finally stopped pussyfooting around whether Trump won in 2020. —Philip Elliott, Time, 8 Aug. 2023

Yet other people want to pussyfoot around. —Ed Symkus, USA TODAY, 3 Nov. 2020

What a crazy, zany coincidence that Harden pussyfooted around the controversy set off by Morey’s tweet. —Scott Ostler, SFChronicle.com, 12 Oct. 2019

Deputy Managing Editor Yesha Callahan is gonna be mad at this short-ass lede, but today there’s no need to pussyfoot around. —Michael Harriot, The Root, 15 June 2018

No pussyfooting around here: Sell-offs are painful. —Anna-Louise Jackson, latimes.com, 9 Feb. 2018

Word History

First Known Use

1903, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

pussyfoot

verb

pussy·​foot -ˌfu̇t 

1

: to walk or move in a careful or sneaky manner

2

: to avoid taking a firm stand (as in a dispute)