footstep

[ foot-step ]

/ ˈfʊtˌstɛp /

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See synonyms for: footstep / footsteps on Thesaurus.com

noun

the setting down of a foot, or the sound so produced; footfall; tread.

the distance covered by a step in walking; pace.

a footprint.

a step by which to ascend or descend.

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Idioms about footstep

follow in someone's footsteps, to succeed or imitate another person.

Origin of footstep

First recorded in 1175–1225, footstep is from Middle English foote steppe. See foot, step

Words nearby footstep

footslog, foot soldier, footsore, footstalk, footstall, footstep, footsteps editor, footstock, footstone, footstool, foot the bill

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use footstep in a sentence

Emily followed in her footsteps and had a remarkable career as a surgeon, institutional leader and head of a medical school for women.
Determined to practice medicine, two sisters defied conventions|Janet Golden|February 5, 2021|Washington Post
Presumably, she has followed in the footsteps of her godmother, Captain Marvel, and become some sort of do-gooder.
Everything You Need to Know Before Watching WandaVision|Eliana Dockterman|January 14, 2021|Time
I guess I had map-making in my blood, though I hadn’t planned to follow in my father’s footsteps.
Marie Tharp’s groundbreaking maps brought the seafloor to the world|Betsy Mason|January 13, 2021|Science News
Her career as a doctor may be one of the few things that will make her think twice about a full-time political career in her mother’s footsteps.
Politics Report: Shirley Weber’s Shoes to Fill|Scott Lewis|December 26, 2020|Voice of San Diego

Rogers initially signed with George Washington in 2015, intent on following in his father’s footsteps.
At 5-foot-2, a college guard puts up numbers that overshadow his height|Rick Maese|December 26, 2020|Washington Post
For three years I had been listening to the voice of Hope, and for three years I had waited for a footstep on my threshold.
Read ‘The King in Yellow,’ the ‘True Detective’ Reference That’s the Key to the Show|Robert W. Chambers|February 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
You can hear every footstep, which detracts from the experience exponentially.
Gal With a Suitcase|Jolie Hunt|February 20, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Soon, however, another footstep became audible on the stairs below, and this time Sarah heard it distinctly.
Skipper Worse|Alexander Lange Kielland
She tried to see her way through; she was thinking it out when the sound of a footstep behind caused her to look round.
The Weight of the Crown|Fred M. White
One step away he made, then his foot halted, as the whispering sound of a quick footstep came from behind through the bush.
Menotah|Ernest G. Henham
Away they went, with Gyp at their heels, and every footstep resounded through the old house until they reached the upper floor.
St. Nicholas, Vol. 5, No. 5, March, 1878|Various
There was a slow, heavy footstep upon the stairs, and in a moment Seth had hidden the letter.
The Light That Lures|Percy Brebner

British Dictionary definitions for footstep

footstep

/ (ˈfʊtˌstɛp) /

noun

the action of taking a step in walking

the sound made by stepping or walking

the distance covered with a step; pace

a footmark

a single stair; step

to continue the tradition or example of another

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with footstep

footstep

see follow in someone's footsteps.

footstep

Idioms about footstep

Origin of footstep

Words nearby footstep

Words related to footstep

How to use footstep in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for footstep

Other Idioms and Phrases with footstep