I. ˈflat-ˌfu̇-təd, ˌflat-ˈ adjective
Date: 1601
1. : affected with flatfoot ; broadly : walking with a dragging or shambling gait
2.
a. : firm and well balanced on the feet
b. : free from reservation : forthright
had an honest flat-footed way of saying a thing
3. : not ready : unprepared — used chiefly in the phrase catch one flat-footed
4. : proceeding in a plodding or unimaginative way : pedestrian
flat-footed prose
• flat-foot·ed·ly adverb
• flat-foot·ed·ness noun
II. adverb
Date: 1828
1. : in an open and determined manner : flatly
2. : with the feet flat on a surface (as the ground)