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

Now 18 years old, Valentina has her heart set on following in her famous mother’s footsteps. — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 18 Sep. 2026

Carrick is the seventh permanent manager since the retirement of Ferguson in 2013 and follows in the footsteps of top-tier names like Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho, who failed to return United to the summit of English soccer. — ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026

Prince George is following in his father’s footsteps in more ways than one. — Ariana Quihuiz, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026

The visit to the 15th-century library marked the pope’s first visit, following in the footsteps of his predecessors. — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 16 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for footstep

• bicep
• doorstep
• instep
• misstep
• sidestep
• cep
• hep
• pep
• prep
• rep
• sep
• step

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