footstep
Americannoun
-
footsteps
plural
-
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.
idioms
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
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of footstep
First recorded in 1175–1225, footstep is from Middle English foote steppe. See foot, step
Vocabulary lists containing footstep
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The duo went 1-2 in the 200, with Coleman beating his older teammate for the first time, edging him by a footstep, 21.01 to 21.27.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 7, 2023
“Hopefully, people will follow in the footstep of my brother Hazzaa and my footsteps,” al-Neyadi said, the flags for the UAE and its space center hanging behind him.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 7, 2023
The thick deep pile carpet that has been laid on these ancient stones has seen to that - it muffles every footstep.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2022
The walls heave with weird, “Repulsion”-like plaster bulges; the pipes clang; the upstairs neighbor — is there an upstairs neighbor? — treads so heavily that the light fixture sways with every footstep.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 22, 2021
My sisters moved around, prodding and testing the moonlit path with each footstep as they milled around.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
Following in the footsteps of pioneering overseas restaurants like Coda in Berlin and Room4Dessert in Bali, more domestic pastry chefs are introducing menus entirely dedicated to the dessert course.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
When Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass amplified the results last week of a favorable political poll that turned out to be fake, she was inadvertently following in the footsteps of conservative Detroit singer Kid Rock.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
Other days I've imagined hearing her drinking water and her footsteps.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
Apple investors almost certainly are far better off for it — and Cook’s successor, John Ternus, would do well to follow in his footsteps.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 2, 2026
“Opal—” There were footsteps coming up the tower.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
