pussyfoot
/ˈpʊsɪfʊt
/verb [no object, with adverbial]
1Act in a cautious or non-committal way: I realized I could no longer pussyfoot around...
- Mr Blair may want to pussyfoot around this issue, but I don't.
- ‘Tell me we're not going to pussyfoot around when we get in there,’ he says.
- Don't pussyfoot around with vague terms like hang out.
Synonyms
equivocate, be evasive, be non-committal, evade/dodge/sidestep/fudge the issue, prevaricate, quibble, parry questions, hedge, fence, vacillate, shuffle about, beat about the bush;
British hum and haw
informal duck the question, sit on the fence, shilly-shally, blow hot and cold
rare tergiversate
1.1Move stealthily or warily: they make a great show of pussyfooting through the greenery...
- You've been pussyfooting around all week long about some secret you have.
- It is not about pussyfooting in the dark nor is it about throwing stones while hiding the hand.
Synonyms
creep, move stealthily, tiptoe, pad, soft-shoe, steal, sneak, nose, sidle, stalk, prowl, slink, skulk, tread warily
Derivatives
pussyfooter
- Agnew, on the other hand, is the guy who gave us ‘nattering nabobs of negativity,’ and ‘pusillanimous pussyfooters.’
- Careful Mr CB - remember, he's ‘hardcore’ and we're just ‘pussyfooters’.