fooling
/ˈfulɪŋ/
adjective
Common
1.adj.characterized by a feeling of irresponsibility
“a broken back is nothing to be casual about; it is no fooling matter”
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fooling and footing differ by a single letter, buried far enough into the word to be easy to miss. fooling means “characterized by a feeling of irresponsibility”. footing means “status with respect to the relations between people or groups”. fooling is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈfulɪŋ/
1.adj.characterized by a feeling of irresponsibility
“a broken back is nothing to be casual about; it is no fooling matter”
/ˈfʊtɪŋ/
1.n.status with respect to the relations between people or groups
“on good terms with her in-laws”
2.n.a relation that provides the foundation for something
“they were on a friendly footing”
3.n.a place providing support for the foot in standing or climbing
| fooling | footing | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈfulɪŋ/ | /ˈfʊtɪŋ/ |
| Said | FOO-ling | FUUT-ing |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Letters | 7 | 7 |
| Parts of speech | adjective | noun |
| Senses | 1 | 3 |
| How common | Common | Familiar |
| Synonyms | casual | terms |
Full entry for fooling · Full entry for footing · More comparisons