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

By offering a solution to the throngs of independent resale stores that followed in the footsteps of buy-and-sell pioneers like Round Two, OS Group has been able to carve a lucrative niche in an otherwise crowded space. —Riley Jones, Footwear News, 4 Nov. 2025

The eldest of Dick Cheney's two children, Liz Cheney followed in her father's footsteps in entering politics. —Melina Khan, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025

As for his family, daughter Liz followed in her father's footsteps as a politician. —Giovana Gelhoren, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025

Ladd was initially against her daughter, Laura Dern, following in her footsteps and becoming an actress. —Louis Casiano , Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 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