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

The twin brothers, both of whom followed in their father's footsteps on the gridiron at Notre Dame, took their own lives one year apart. —Jon Paul Hoornstra, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Oct. 2025

While the pair haven’t shared any photos of Emma, Behrs revealed during an appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show that her daughter is already following in her footsteps. —Ariana Quihuiz, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025

Amelia Brown Frazier’s son, Owsley Brown Frazier, followed in his mother’s philanthropic footsteps. —Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 26 Oct. 2025

Bobrovsky decided to follow in the Hall of Famer’s footsteps almost three years ago, gifting wine bottles of his own to his teammates. —Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 26 Oct. 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