tiptoe

1 of 4

noun

tip·​toe ˈtip-ˌtō 

-ˈtō

: the position of being balanced on the balls of the feet and toes with the heels raised

—usually used with on

also : the ends of the toes

see also on tiptoe

tiptoe

2 of 4

verb

tiptoed; tiptoeing

intransitive verb

1

: to walk or proceed quietly or cautiously on or as if on tiptoe

tiptoe around the issue

2

: to stand or raise oneself on tiptoe

tiptoe

3 of 4

adverb

: on or as if on tiptoe

tiptoe

4 of 4

adjective

1

: standing or walking on or as if on tiptoe

2

: cautious, stealthy

Examples of tiptoe in a Sentence

Verb

She tiptoed through the puddle.

He tiptoed quietly around the house to avoid waking the children.

Adverb

She had to stand tiptoe to reach the shelf.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

At one point, Reiner stood on his tiptoes to peer over the lawyers’ heads to look at the audience. —Dallas Morning News, 7 Jan. 2026

Still, almost 30,000 people waited with sweat soaking their shirts, standing on tiptoe to get a glimpse of the men walking toward the center of the arena. —Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2025

Verb

In the early morning glow, my husband and I tiptoe out of our lodging down to the lake's edge. —Julia Sayers Gokhale, Midwest Living, 7 Jan. 2026

Away from the ice, Doughty remembers tiptoeing into his first Olympic experience. —Chris Johnston, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

circa 1661, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Adverb

1592, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing tiptoe

• tiptoe around

Rhymes for tiptoe

• beau
• beaux
• blow
• boe
• bro
• coe
• crow
• doe
• doh
• dough
• eau
• eaux

Kids Definition

tiptoe

1 of 3 noun

tip·​toe ˈtip-ˌtō 

-ˈtō

1

: the tip of a toe

2

: the ends of the toes

tiptoe

2 of 3 adverb or adjective

: on or as if on tiptoe

tiptoe

3 of 3 verb

tiptoed; tiptoeing

: to walk on tiptoe