Meaning & use
footy
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Meanings
noununcountableinformalBritishAustralian
an informal word for football, especially soccer in Britain or Australian rules football in Australia
Grammar: Uncountable: say 'play footy', not 'play a footy'. It is not used for the ball itself in most contexts.
Patterns
- play footy
- watch the footy
- a game of footy
The kids are out playing footy in the park.
We watched the footy at the pub on Saturday.
He's mad about footy and never misses a match.
nouncountableinformalAustralian
a football; the ball used in these games
Grammar: Countable when it means the ball: 'a footy', 'the footy'. This use is less common than the sport meaning.
Patterns
- kick a footy
- a new footy
He kicked the footy over the fence.
The dog ran off with the footy.
Common combinations
- play footy
- They play footy every Friday after school.
- watch the footy
- Dad's watching the footy, so don't change the channel.
- a game of footy
- We had a game of footy on the beach.
- footy season
- Footy season starts in March.
Synonyms and how they differ
- football
- The standard, neutral word; use it in formal writing or when you are not sure which code of football is meant.
- soccer
- Specifically the game where players kick a round ball; in Britain 'footy' often means this, but 'soccer' is clearer for international readers.
Word family
- footer noun
- Informal Australian term for Australian rules football; similar in tone to 'footy'.
Commonly confused: footy or footie?
footy vs footie
An alternative spelling of the same word; 'footy' is more common in writing.
Practice
In British English, what does 'footy' usually mean?
Choose one answer.
In Britain, 'footy' is an informal word for football (soccer). It does not mean food, a boot, or a stadium.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “footy”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.