foothill

noun

foot·​hill ˈfu̇t-ˌhil 

1

: a hill at the foot of higher hills

2

foothills plural : a hilly region at the base of a mountain range

Examples of foothill in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That didn’t stop catastrophes like the 2018 fire in the Sierra foothills that destroyed the town of Paradise and killed 85. — Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026

But before that fire sparks in our beloved foothills, Coloradans can work to ensure parts of the forests survive, providing for faster recovery and protecting the complex watershed that more than half a million households rely on for drinking water. — Megan Schrader, Denver Post, 27 Aug. 2026

The National Weather Service has issued an extreme heat warning that applies to more than 1 million people in San Diego County, mostly across inland valleys, foothills and mountains where high temperatures will approach or exceed 95 to 114 degrees. — Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Aug. 2026

Days are filled with heli-skiing on untracked powder, hiking in the foothills of the sublime Tordrillo Mountain Range, and fishing in the secluded Lake Judd. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1788, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for foothill

• anthill
• backfill
• bluegill
• crossbill
• distil
• distill
• downhill
• dunghill
• fulfil
• fulfill
• goodwill
• gristmill

Kids Definition

foothill

noun

foot·​hill -ˌhil 

: a hill at the foot of higher hills or mountains