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 their father's footsteps

Synonyms of footstep

• 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

The rise comes as Argentine authorities race to trace the footsteps of a couple who traveled extensively in the country and later died amid an outbreak of the virus on the cruise ship MV Hondius. —Gonzalo Zegarra, CNN Money, 9 May 2026

Following in the footsteps of Apollo 11 – the first mission to get boots on the lunar surface – Apollo 17 was the sixth and last time astronauts have been on the moon. —Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 8 May 2026

Elkann, a keen offshore sailor himself, says Hypersail follows in the footsteps of Ferrari’s passion for endurance, drawing inspiration from the Ferrari 499P hypercar, which has won the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans three years in a row since the team’s return to endurance racing in 2023. —Andrew Rice, New York Times, 7 May 2026

The French actress has been named godmother of this year’s Trophée Chopard, following in the footsteps of Demi Moore and Julia Roberts. —Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 7 May 2026

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