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 road to soccer was paved early as Pulisic followed in the footsteps of his parents. — ABC News, 1 July 2026

At the time, Andrés was a wiry teenager with dreams of following in his brother’s footsteps. — Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 1 July 2026

Now 29 years old, Lourdes continues to explore music in her mother's footsteps, and the two teamed up to write a song together. — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 2 July 2026

Hagman followed in the footsteps of his mother, renowned stage and screen actress Mary Martin, known for her collaborations with Rodgers and Hammerstein. — Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 28 June 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