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

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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

See Examples For:

afoot

Well, some of us probably suspected something was afoot since, like Agatha Harkness, it was right there all along.

From Salon ● Oct. 23, 2026

My follow-up conversation with Mishra brought up another change afoot in America beyond our aging demographics: the prevalence of GLP-1 usage.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026

This is not to say there’s skulduggery afoot, just a massive hole in an otherwise clear-eyed and affecting documentary.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

That’s not to suggest any radical reinventions are afoot.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2026

Besides, the innkeep at the Merchant’s House had warned him that traveling afoot would taint them in the eyes of foreign captains and the native-born Volantenes alike.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin

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