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

• footprint
• step

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

Disney, following in the footsteps of Netflix and others, soon will no longer report the number of subscribers for its Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ streaming services. —Todd Spangler, Variety, 6 Aug. 2025

While none of Lindsey's children appear interested in following his footsteps as a musician, his son is definitely a fan of the art form. —Stephanie Kaloi, People.com, 3 Aug. 2025

Scottish actor Jack Lowden follows in the footsteps of Laurence Olivier, Colin Firth, and Macfadyen as Mr. Darcy, one of literature's most iconic, aloof romantic heroes. —Randall Colburn, EW.com, 1 Aug. 2025

The inflation figures follow on the footsteps of indications earlier this week that showed the euro zone economy expanded by a better-than-expected 0.1% in the second quarter, which was nevertheless sharply down on the 0.6% growth of the three months to the end of March. —Sophie Kiderlin, CNBC, 1 Aug. 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