afoot

American  

[uh-foot] / əˈfʊt /

adverb

1. on foot; walking.

   I came afoot.

2. astir; in progress.

   There is mischief afoot.

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afoot British  

/ əˈfʊt /

adjective

1. in circulation or operation; astir

   mischief was afoot

2. on or by foot

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Etymology

Origin of afoot

First recorded in 1175–1225, afoot is from Middle English a fote, on fote. See a- ¹, foot

Explanation

Something that's afoot is already happening, underway, or being prepared. You might reassure your fellow French club members that plans are afoot for a fund raiser to support your upcoming trip to Québec. People frequently say that plans are afoot when they've started preparing for a party, an election campaign, a job hunt, or anything else that requires some planning. Plans might be afoot for your dad's surprise party, for example, or your sister's wedding. Another, less common way to use afoot is to mean "on foot," or "walking." You could tell your teacher that you're late to school because you missed the bus and had to travel afoot.

Example Sentences

There may even be signs of a tepid recovery afoot.

From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026

We’ve seen the advent of marriage equality, the #MeToo movement, the Black Lives Matter movement—there’s just been a lot of change afoot, and we’re seeing a real backlash to that.

From Slate • Mar. 10, 2026

But last summer, there were early signs of changes afoot.

From BBC • Jan. 9, 2026

See: Big changes are afoot in the U.S. stock market.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 7, 2026

When he was all afoot his scaled head, spike-crowned and triple-tongued, rose higher than the broken tower’s height, and his taloned forefeet rested on the rubble of the town below.

From "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin