underfoot

American  

[uhn-der-foot] / ˌʌn dərˈfʊt /

adverb

1. under the foot or feet; on the ground; underneath or below.

   The climb was difficult because there were so many rocks underfoot.

2. so as to form an obstruction, as in walking; in the way.

   the ends of her sash falling constantly underfoot.

---

adjective

1. lying under the foot or feet; in a position to be trodden upon.

underfoot British  

/ ˌʌndəˈfʊt /

adverb

1. underneath the feet; on the ground

2. in a position of subjugation or subservience

3. in the way

---

Etymology

Origin of underfoot

1150–1200; Middle English underfot (adv.). See under-, foot

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

underfoot

“Cool Machine” is a modern masterpiece and an ode to New York, no matter that rats skitter and cockroaches scamper underfoot.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

The streets are also named for these weavers of words, so they’re overhead and underfoot.

From Salon ● Jun. 23, 2026

Kristen Adam’s softly textured watercolors convey the dreamy quality of days spent on a beach, fine-grained sand underfoot and crisp blue waves hissing against the shore.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026

But unlike the tradwife with her gaggle of youngsters underfoot, the orangutan mother sustains this intense caretaking by spacing her kids seven or so years apart.

From Slate ● May 10, 2026

I was just fixing to quit weeding and rest a spell under the big hickernut tree when I noticed my shadow was underfoot, nearly straight down.

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns