footfall

noun

foot·​fall ˈfu̇t-ˌfȯl How to pronounce footfall (audio)
: the sound of a footstep

Example Sentences

She heard footfalls echoing in the hall.
Recent Examples on the Web But industry analyst Springboard said data from Monday showed footfall was 38.8% higher than last year. Bloomberg.com, 27 Dec. 2022 The likely culprit turned out to be a carpet strip that had been added to reduce the noise of footfall from tourists visiting during Mass. Yuliya Parshina-kottas, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2023 Tourist footfall is also slow; the castle is closed to the public on Tuesdays. Simon Usborne, Town & Country, 10 Jan. 2023 All regions of the UK suffered lower footfall except one, the East Midlands, which was up 4%. Katie Linsell, Bloomberg.com, 13 Dec. 2022 Vibram MegaGrip at the outsole provides confident traction in slippy wet terrain, and the dual-density EVA footbed softens every footfall. Nathan Borchelt, Travel + Leisure, 16 Feb. 2023 The East of England was worst affected, with retail footfall 13% lower than a year earlier. Katie Linsell, Bloomberg.com, 13 Dec. 2022 Hay hopes that if there are enough visitors, her shop in Little Italy can also go some way toward revitalizing the small businesses that are suffering due to low footfall in the near vicinity. Liam Hess, Vogue, 27 Nov. 2020 The team then used smartphone data to capture footfall traffic in schools as a proxy for local school reopening policies. Nick Morrison, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'footfall.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1616, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of footfall was circa 1616

Dictionary Entries Near footfall

Cite this Entry

“Footfall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/footfall. Accessed 29 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

footfall

noun
foot·​fall ˈfu̇t-ˌfȯl How to pronounce footfall (audio)
: the sound of a footstep
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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