Pussyfoot

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈpʊs.iˌfʊt/

Definitions

1. To proceed in a careful or secretive way to avoid detection or trouble ; to delay or hesitate, avoiding clear decisions or commitments
2. Moving with extreme caution and tact to prevent offense or risk ; acting indecisively to escape responsibility or make a firm choice
3. Engaging in cautious behavior to avoid drawing attention or causing problems ; shying away from firm choices or actions due to uncertainty or fear

Etymology: Anyone who has watched a cat cross a room has seen the behaviour this verb describes: the slow, placed steps that make no noise. The English verb takes that image directly, joining "pussy", an old word for a cat, to "foot". The metaphor was made by setting the animal's careful tread against the human habit of stepping lightly to avoid notice or trouble. The sense has stayed close to that picture. To pussyfoot is to move cautiously, and by extension to avoid committing oneself, so that someone who will not take a firm position is said to be pussyfooting around an issue. The figurative use has grown more common than the literal one, so the word now describes evasiveness in speech and decision-making more often than actual soft footsteps.

Synonyms: tiptoe, creep

Antonyms: stride, march