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 pop star follows in the footsteps of Cynthia Erivo, who hosted the ceremony last year, and Ariana DeBose, who hosted for three years prior. —Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 9 Apr. 2026

The University of Connecticut student, who had been studying dentistry to follow in his parents’ footsteps, died at Bridgeport Hospital Milford Campus in August 2024 after being diagnosed with pancreatitis, dehydration, metabolic acidosis and alcohol withdrawal. —Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2026

Following in Pauli’s footsteps, scientists involved in the effort carefully tabulate the electrons’ energies to make stringent measurements of any excess energy that went into making the counterpart neutrinos. —Quanta Magazine, 8 Apr. 2026

Both of their sons followed in Dan's footsteps, with Danny attending his parents' alma mater Seton Hall University and Andrew playing basketball at UConn under his dad’s coaching. —Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 7 Apr. 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