a movement made by lifting the foot and setting it down again in a new position, accompanied by a shifting of the weight of the body in the direction of the new position, as in walking, running, or dancing.
such a movement followed by a movement of equal distance of the other foot.
The soldier took one step forward and stood at attention.
the space passed over or the distance measured by one such movement of the foot.
the sound made by the foot in making such a movement.
a mark or impression made by the foot on the ground; footprint.
the manner of walking; gait; stride.
pace in marching.
double-quick step.
a pace uniform with that of another or others, or in time with music.
steps, movements or course in walking or running.
to retrace one's steps.
a move, act, or proceeding, as toward some end or in the general course of some action; stage, measure, or period.
the five steps to success.
rank, degree, or grade, as on a vertical scale.
a support for the foot in ascending or descending.
a step of a ladder; a stair of 14 steps.
a very short distance.
She was never more than a step away from her children.
a repeated pattern or unit of movement in a dance formed by a combination of foot and body motions.
Music.
a degree of the staff or of the scale.
the interval between two adjacent scale degrees; second.
British. steps, a stepladder.
an offset part of anything.
Nautical. a socket, frame, or platform for supporting the lower end of a mast.
Mining. a flat-topped ledge on the face of a quarry or a mine working.
to move, go, etc., by lifting the foot and setting it down again in a new position, or by using the feet alternately in this manner.
to step forward.
to walk, or go on foot, especially for a few strides or a short distance.
Step over to the bar.
to move with measured steps, as in a dance.
to go briskly or fast, as a horse.
to obtain, find, win, come upon, etc., something easily and naturally, as if by a mere step of the foot.
to step into a good business opportunity.
to put the foot down; tread by intention or accident.
to step on a cat's tail.
to press with the foot, as on a lever, spring, or the like, in order to operate some mechanism.
to take (a step, pace, stride, etc.).
to go through or perform the steps of (a dance).
to move or set (the foot) in taking a step.
to measure (a distance, ground, etc.) by steps (sometimes followed by off orout ).
to make or arrange in the manner of a series of steps.
Nautical. to fix (a mast) in its step.
step in to become involved; intervene, as in a quarrel or fight.
The brawl was well under way by the time the police stepped in.
step out
to leave a place, especially for a brief period of time.
to walk or march at a more rapid pace.
to go out to a social gathering or on a date.
We're stepping out tonight.
step up
to raise or increase by degrees.
to step up production.
to be promoted; advance.
to make progress; improve.
step down
to lower or decrease by degrees.
to relinquish one's authority or control; resign.
Although he was past retirement age, he refused to step down and let his son take over the business.
keep step, to keep pace; stay in step.
The construction of classrooms and the training of teachers have not kept step with population growth.
watch one's step, to proceed with caution; behave prudently.
If she doesn't watch her step, she will be fired from her job.
out of step,
not in time to a rhythm or corresponding to the step of others.
not in harmony or conformity with.
They are out of step with the others in their group.
step on it, to hasten one's activity or steps; hurry up.
If we don't step on it, we'll miss the show.
in step,
moving in time to a rhythm or with the corresponding step of others.
in harmony or conformity with.
They are not in step with the times.
step by step,
from one stage to the next in sequence.
gradually and steadily.
We were shown the steelmaking process step by step.
take steps, to set about putting something into operation; begin to act.
I will take steps to see that your application is processed.
break step, to interrupt or cease walking or marching in step.
The marching units were allowed to break step after they had passed the reviewing stand.
the act of motion brought about by raising the foot and setting it down again in coordination with the transference of the weight of the body
the distance or space covered by such a motion
the sound made by such a movement
the impression made by such movement of the foot; footprint
the manner of walking or moving the feet; gait
he received his prize with a proud step
a sequence of foot movements that make up a particular dance or part of a dance
I have mastered the steps of the waltz
any of several paces or rhythmic movements in marching, dancing, etc
the goose step
(plural) a course followed by a person in walking or as walking
they followed in their leader's steps
one of a sequence of separate consecutive stages in the progression towards some goal
another step towards socialism
a rank or grade in a series or scale
he was always a step behind
an object or device that offers support for the foot when ascending or descending
(plural) a flight of stairs, esp out of doors
(plural) another name for stepladder
a very short easily walked distance
it is only a step to my place
music a melodic interval of a second See whole tone half-step
an offset or change in the level of a surface similar to the step of a stair
a strong block or frame bolted onto the keel of a vessel and fitted to receive the base of a mast
a ledge cut in mining or quarrying excavations
to cease to march in step
marching, dancing, etc, in conformity with a specified pace or moving in unison with others
informal in agreement or harmony
to remain walking, marching, dancing, etc, in unison or in a specified rhythm
not moving in conformity with a specified pace or in accordance with others
informal not in agreement; out of harmony
with care and deliberation; gradually
to undertake measures (to do something) with a view to the attainment of some end
informal to conduct oneself with caution and good behaviour
to walk or move carefully
(intr) to move by raising the foot and then setting it down in a different position, transferring the weight of the body to this foot and repeating the process with the other foot
(intr; often foll by in, out, etc) to move or go on foot, esp for a short distance
step this way, ladies
informal (intr) to move, often in an attractive graceful manner, as in dancing
he can really step around
(intr; usually foll by on or upon) to place or press the foot; tread
to step on the accelerator
to enter (into a situation) apparently with ease
she stepped into a life of luxury
(tr) to walk or take (a number of paces, etc)
to step ten paces
(tr) to perform the steps of
they step the tango well
(tr) to set or place (the foot)
(tr; usually foll by off or out) to measure (some distance of ground) by stepping
(tr) to arrange in or supply with a series of steps so as to avoid coincidence or symmetry
(tr) to raise (a mast) and fit it into its step
What does step- mean? Step- is a prefix denoting family members by remarriage rather than blood. It is occasionally used in kinship terms. Step- comes from Old English stēop-, of the same meaning above, and is not related to the verb step, with the sense “to go by lifting the foot.” In Old English, stéopbearn means "orphan" and is connected to the verb āstēpan, meaning "to bereave." Essentially, in Old English, a stepfather is one who has become a father to an orphan.
First recorded before 900; (for the verb) Middle English steppen, Old English steppan; cognate with Old High German stepfen; akin to stamp; (for the noun) Middle English; Old English stepe
Middle English; Old English stēop-; cognate with German stief-, Old Norse stjūp- step-; akin to Old English āstēpan to bereave, bestēpan to deprive (of children)
Step right up and learn about the word step, which can be a noun or a verb. When you lift up your foot, move it forward, and put it down, that's a step. You can call the distance you cover in that single movement a step as well. Each movement in a dance is a step, and so is the sound of feet on the floor: "I heard his heavy step when he went for his midnight snack." A step is also a stair or a ladder's rung, and when you achieve something or make progress, you take steps toward your goal. If you're about to step in gum, your friend might warn, "Watch your step!"
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"I have to step away from the Instagram reels and the TikToks because I just want to comment, 'This is not gentle parenting'".
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
"This study is an important step forward for the use of a vitamin D analog as a stromal remodeling therapy that can overcome therapeutic resistance in pancreatic," says Perez.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 4, 2026
This step is what brought us here, to Ponysaurus, filling out the online notice to the tune of a hissing compressor that kept clean air moving through the brewing system.
From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026
If anyone goes out — God forbid anyone goes out — I’ve got to be the guy to step up and be the primary ballhandler, and get my guys in the right spots.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026
She was setting them on the table when we heard Father’s step coming down the staircase.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
She is survived by her stepsons, Carl and Peter D’Angio, and several step-grandchildren and step- great-grandchildren.
From New York Times ● Sep. 30, 2022
“And sort of a step- whatever for Mike’s children — friend, I guess.”
From Washington Post ● Feb. 5, 2020
Maybe think of it this way: As a gesture to your wife, an exemplary mother, step- or otherwise, can you go the extra mile to repair this rift before it turns to rot?
From Slate ● Dec. 17, 2019
Someday he might untie the knots of those prefixes that labelled Lovey, ex- and step-.
From The New Yorker ● Dec. 30, 2013
“I gotta have a tall stool or a step- ladder or something. Then I could do the top kitchen cabinets, too.”
From "The Great Gilly Hopkins" by Katherine Paterson
Step one, as Ohtani acknowledged Monday, is for him to stop pitching this season.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
I am a GS-12, Step 3 federal employee earning $119,356 annually.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026
UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider Tadej Pogacar, the overwhelming favourite for overall victory, won the stage by just nine hundredths of a second from another Briton, Ethan Hayter of Soudal-Quick Step.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
Mr. Barr is the co-founder of Flashpass and founder of Step Up Social.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
Step one is to learn how to play the piano.
From "A Soft Place to Land" by Janae Marks
Uribe enrolled her parents on the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, or STEP.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2026
The State Department generally advises U.S. citizens traveling to Mexico, and other international destinations, to register themselves with the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, or STEP.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 25, 2026
Enter STEP, which aims to be just that: a prototype plant that produces net electricity.
From Scientific American ● Jun. 5, 2023
Next year, the government will take another step forward, by announcing where it will locate STEP, a prototype fusion power plant, designed to be running by 2040.
From BBC ● Dec. 16, 2021
Step by Step Judged as a story pure and simple, "STEP BY STEP" is altogether delightful.
From The Highgrader by D. C. Hutchison
When the teachers’ phones sound the all-clear, they lead the children back outside, helping the 2-year-olds up steps that are too high for them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
The government commissioned a review into his death in August, to identify lessons to be learned and recommend steps to minimise the risk of future tragedies.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
If we wanted our school to tap the voucher money, we’d have to go through some additional steps such as getting criminal background checks.
From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026
Medical helicopter flights land and depart not from the airport but from a separate location: a heliport on Pebbly Beach, just steps from the ocean.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026
He turns to go up the steps once again, and I latch on to his arm and gently pull him back toward me.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
Perry welcomed Meghan and Harry into the home in 2020 after they stepped down from their royal duties.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026
His oldest sister stepped in, made his meals and went to school and doctor appointments with him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026
Nagamori stepped down as board chairman in December and as chairman emeritus in February.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
But when the husband stepped outside, he said he was confronted by armed police.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
One morning the code words were still being relayed down the long shed when a rather hefty Aufseherin stepped through the door.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Strada said that his stepping down is "in the best interests" of the state, and called the ongoing investigation into the incident "entirely appropriate and necessary".
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
On Saturday he announced that Frank Strada, the head of the state’s prison system, would be stepping down.
From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026
Clayton would become the second person to hold the informal title after venture capitalist David Sacks, who held the role at the start of Trump's second term before stepping down.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
American car buyers are rediscovering smaller vehicles and stepping back from some big SUVs as sticker prices and fuel costs rise, the WSJ’s Ryan Felton and Christopher Otts write.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
It was all weird, Jonah thought, stepping in and out of the shadows.
From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
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.
