footloose

adjective

ˈfu̇t-ˌlüs How to pronounce footloose (audio)
Definition of footloosenext
1
as in loose
not bound, confined, or detained by force after having been chained for so long, the suddenly footloose dog ran helter-skelter about the yard

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in freewheeling
not held back by rules, duties, or worries wished I could be as carefree as that footloose toddler

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of footloose Of all the world’s footloose international students, 15 percent come to the United States, the largest share of any country in the world. — David G. Victor, Foreign Affairs, 28 May 2025 Defiant and determined to get back home on his own to his mother and grandfather Gerald (Paul Weller) in East London, George encounters real danger as a distraught Rita tries to find her footloose son. — Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Oct. 2024 The footloose couple performed on the opening night of the Symphony of Dance tour in Melbourne, Fl. — Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 17 Apr. 2024 Huppert plays a footloose and intense French woman at large in Korea and vaguely making ends meet as an untrained language tutor with eccentric methods. — Patrick Frater, Variety, 19 Feb. 2024 See All Example Sentences for footloose
Recent Examples of Synonyms for footloose
  1. loose
  2. freewheeling
  3. free
  4. casual
  5. unbound
Adjective
  • Stronger downdraft winds and loose, dry soil can impact how much dust is lifted into the air.
    — Brandi D. Addison, AZCentral.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The Markeyverse — a loose network of meme accounts run by young progressives that Markey credited for his last election victory — has diminished.
    — Laura Beveridge, Washington Post, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of loose
Adjective
  • Among them is his contention that a more freewheeling AI landscape might actually help humans keep the technology in check.
    — Will Oremus, The Atlantic, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Fox News Channel’s Will Cain speaks into what appears to be a large radio microphone — a signifier of the more freewheeling conversations held by video podcasters –during his daily afternoon hour on the network’s weekday schedule.
    — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of freewheeling
Adjective
  • With a bogey-free 66 on Saturday, Scheffler moved into a tie for third heading into the final round at East Lake, three shots behind leader Viktor Hovland.
    — Gabby Herzig, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • But markets are showing some signs of fatigue, after absorbing the flood of debt in such a short time, S&P Global warned last month, pointing out that hyperscalers are paying a higher premium compared with yields on risk-free bonds.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of free
Adjective
  • The Clubhouse Restaurant provides a more casual option, serving familiar comfort food alongside some of the most spectacular views in Europe.
    — Jeff Goudy, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Keep it casual and stylish by pairing your maxi skirt and white tee with your comfy walking shoes for daytime sightseeing without totally sticking out like a tourist.
    — Kayla Becker, Travel + Leisure, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of casual
Adjective
  • Is realism based only on minds untouched by illness or some other distorting factor, or at least not so touched that that mind becomes, as my grandmother’s is, unbound?
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 July 2026
  • Then the coach known as the most impulsive man on an NFL sideline runs that stop sign, grits his teeth and breaks unbound into character.
    — Michael Silver, New York Times, 16 June 2026
Definition of unbound

Browse Nearby Words

footlockers
footloose
footman
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Cite this Entry

“Footloose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/footloose. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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