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

• footmark
• footprint
• step
• trace
• vestige

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

Her daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, have followed in their mother’s footsteps to raise cancer awareness among young people. —Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2025

Robert follows in the fancy footsteps of his sister, Bindi, who was crowned the champion of season 21 alongside professional partner Derek Hough (now a judge on DWTS) in 2015. —EW.com, 23 Apr. 2025

Following in the footsteps of his older brother Brian, Farrell entered the Legionaries of Christ congregation in 1966 and was ordained a priest in 1978 in Rome. —Chad De Guzman, Time, 22 Apr. 2025

The 28-year-old followed in the footsteps of his older brother Wesley, who won the event in 2012 and became the first sibling duo in history to win the Boston Marathon. —Paras J. Haji, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 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