Learn a new phrase and make your English sound more natural and interesting. Words We Use is a bilingual series that helps you understand idioms like 'On the back foot'.
On the back foot — you might hear this expression in football. Literally, in football, being on the back foot means a player or team is under pressure and struggling to stay in control. But in English, when we say someone is on the back foot, we mean they are at a disadvantage or not fully prepared.
Today, you’ll hear it in all kinds of situations.
You can use it in football when one player is struggling against another:
- Lucas has got James on the back foot - he’s too quick for him to handle!
It can also be used to describe a team under pressure during a match:
- Barcelona played very well in the first half, but now, Real Madrid has them on the back foot!
Use it at work when things are not going well:
- We always seem to be on the back foot these days, our competition are doing much better than us.
You can also use it after a meeting:
- I felt a bit on the back foot in that meeting because I didn’t really have all the facts in front of me.
It is also useful to mean you were not ready for something, for example, in a debate:
- I wasn’t expecting him to ask me about that topic. He put me on the back foot for the rest of my speech!
Explore the entire series Words we use by clicking here to listen!
Credits
Host: Nick Pagano
Written by: Nick Pagano
Graphic design: Dory Wang
Educational consultant: Professor Lynda Yates
Produced by: Dory Wang
