pussyfoot
/ˈpʊsiˌfʊt/verb, noun
pussyfoot is spelled P-U-S-S-Y-F-O-O-T: 9 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 18 million words in written English, the 127,184th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, pussyfoot means “To move silently, stealthily, or furtively” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in pussyfoot?
| Letters | 9: P-U-S-S-Y-F-O-O-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 18 million words; the 127,184th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is pussyfoot?
Pussyfoot appears about once in every 18 million words in written English, the 127,184th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce pussyfoot?
- US /ˈpʊsiˌfʊt/
- British /ˈpɵsɪjˌfɵt/
- /ˈpʉseˌfʉt/
Pussyfoot has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-au-pussyfoot.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of pussyfoot
- pussyfoots present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- pussyfooting participle, present
- pussyfooted participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does pussyfoot mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To move silently, stealthily, or furtively.
- 2
To act timidly or cautiously.
- 3
To use euphemistic language or circumlocution.
noun
- 1
datedA teetotaller.
- 2
Synonym of bluemink (“Ageratum houstonianum”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Pussyfoot in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | trippeln, auf Zehenspitzen gehen, schleichen, herumschleichen, leisetreten , um den heißen Brei schleichen |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does pussyfoot come from?
From pussy (“feline”) + foot; because of the light and careful tread of cats.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).