footstep

noun

foot·​step ˈfu̇t-ˌstep 

1

: the mark of the foot : track

2

a

: tread

b

: distance covered by a step : pace

3

: a step on which to ascend or descend

4

: a way of life, conduct, or action

followed in his father's footsteps

Synonyms

• footmark
• footprint
• step
• trace
• vestige

Examples of footstep in a Sentence

She slowly took one footstep toward the frightened animal.

It's five footsteps from the bedroom to the bathroom.

Recent Examples on the Web

The book traced his family’s journey from Texas to Los Angeles in the late 1950s, following in the footsteps of millions of African Americans who escaped the Jim Crow South to the promise of the North and West. Moses moved in with his grandmother in Watts. —Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2025

View Comments Following the footsteps of her fashion forefathers is also difficult because of high costs and red tape. —Leah Dolan, CNN, 22 Feb. 2025

Given regular work, the best bets to follow in the footsteps of reigning Rookies of the Year Paul Skenes (NL) and Luis Gil (AL) are also pitchers. —Dan Schlossberg, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2025

This is Bryant's second year hosting the awards, following in the footsteps of several of her fellow SNL alums who've overseen past ceremonies, including Melissa Villaseñor, Kate McKinnon, Fred Armisen, and Andy Samberg, among others. —Jillian Sederholm, EW.com, 21 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for footstep

• bicep
• doorstep
• instep
• lockstep
• misstep
• sidestep
• cep
• hep
• pep
• prep
• rep
• sep

Kids Definition

footstep

noun

foot·​step -ˌstep 

1

a

: a step of the foot

b

: the distance covered by a step : pace

2

a

: the mark of the foot

b

: the sound of a footstep

3

: a step on which to go up or down