“Be on the back foot”
WorkDefinição
Estar em desvantagem e ser forçado a reagir em vez de tomar a iniciativa.
English: To be at a disadvantage and forced to react rather than take the initiative.
Exemplos
Exemplos
1 / 2“The unexpected question put the speaker on the back foot.”
A pergunta inesperada colocou o orador em desvantagem e o obrigou a reagir.
Use this idiom in context
Rewrite this example in plain English without the idiom. Preserve who is speaking, the time and the meaning.
The unexpected question put the speaker on the back foot.Compare with the original example
The unexpected question put the speaker on the back foot.
A pergunta inesperada colocou o orador em desvantagem e o obrigou a reagir.
Write a two-line conversation using “Be on the back foot”. Make the situation clear enough that a reader can infer the meaning. Then replace the idiom with a plain-English explanation: does your conversation still mean the same thing?
Check the expression in a dictionaryPerguntas Frequentes
- What does "Be on the back foot" mean?
- "Be on the back foot" means estar em desvantagem e ser forçado a reagir em vez de tomar a iniciativa.
- How do you use "Be on the back foot" in a sentence?
- Example: "The unexpected question put the speaker on the back foot."
- Should I interpret "Be on the back foot" word for word?
- Understand the expression as a whole. Use the definition and example to learn its meaning rather than translating each word separately.