What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Footfall vs Footstep - What's the difference?

footfall | footstep |

Footstep is a synonym of footfall.



As nouns the difference between footfall and footstep

is that footfall is the sound made by a footstep while footstep is the mark or impression left by a foot; a track.

footfall

English

Alternative forms

* foot-fall

Noun

(en noun)
  • (countable) The sound made by a footstep.
  • * 1611 , , The Tempest , act 2, sc. 2,
    • . . . like hedgehogs which
    Lie tumbling in my barefoot way and mount
    Their pricks at my footfall .
  • * 1916 , , "The Hungry Stones," in The Hungry Stones And Other Stories ,
    • I heard many footfalls , as if a large number of persons were rushing down the steps.
  • *
  • (chiefly, British, uncountable) Foot (pedestrian) traffic.
  • * 1883 , , The Silverado Squatters , ch. 1,
    • This stir of change and these perpetual echoes of the moving footfall , haunt the land. Men move eternally, still chasing Fortune.
  • * 2008 , " Bargains galore in battle of the high street," The Scotsman , 9 Dec. (retrieved 11 Dec. 2008),
    • With high-street stores desperate to increase footfall and buck the financial downturn, retailers have started issuing discount vouchers.

    footstep

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The mark or impression left by a foot; a track.
    • The child watched as his footsteps in the sand were washed away by the waves.
  • By extension, the indications or waypoints of a course or direction taken.
    • To walk the footsteps of greatness requires that you start at the bottom of a long stair.
  • The sound made by walking, running etc.
    • The footsteps of the students echoed in the empty hall.
  • A step, as in a stair.
    • The garden path had a small footstep down to the main walkway.
  • The distance between one foot and the next when walking; a pace.
    • Mere footsteps away from the victim lay the murder weapon.
  • The act of taking a step.
    • Take one more footstep towards me, and I'll make you sorry!
  • (obsolete) An inclined plane under a hand printing press.

    • Synonyms

    * (mark left by a foot ): footprint, step, track * (signs of a course taken ): point, path, step, trail * (sound of a footstep ): footfall, plod, step, tread * (step, as in a stair ): riser, step * (distance of one footstep ): pace, step, stride * (act of taking a step ): pace, plod, step, stride, tread

    Related terms

    * footer

    Anagrams

    *