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to heel

to heel

5 5.6
To replace the worn back part of a shoe so it works again
  • verb
  • /hil/
translation icon : reponer el tacón
  • I'm going to have to recover this heel and repair the filler.

Examples

  • To save money, she learned how to heel her favorite pair of shoes herself.

  • He decided to heel his boots before the hiking trip.

  • My shoes need new heels, so I'm going to heel them next week.

Synonyms

to reheel
vsto heel
1 7.7

To put a new piece under the back of a shoe to replace a worn part

includes repair or replacement rather than only putting on a new part

Idioms

To leave quickly by suddenly walking away because you are angry or shocked

1 8.2

Looking old and in poor condition because of poverty

Phrasal Verbs

to bring to heel
  • Informal
3 7.6

Make someone or something obey after they resist

Compounds

Achilles' heel
  • Informal
11 6.3

A small but serious weakness in someone or something that can cause failure

6 2.7

A woman's shoe that raises the back of the foot high

A very thin, high part under women's shoes that ends in a small point

3 5.0

A very high, thin part at the back of a woman's shoe that ends in a small point

1 7.2

A medium-height heel on shoes like boots, slightly tapered at the back

1 6.1

A woman's shoe with a short thin heel that gives a small lift

stacked heel
  • Specialized
1 6.5

A shoe heel made from many thin layers of leather or other material

1 3.7

A thick triangular part under a shoe that lifts the back of the foot

A wide, square heel on a shoe that gives good balance

A wide, thick heel on a shoe or boot that gives more balance

A fairly high, narrow part at the back of a shoe that curves inward

heel counter
  • Specialized
7.2

A piece of stiff material at the back of a shoe that supports the heel

heel tip
  • Specialized
5.8

The small part at the back bottom of a shoe that touches the ground and can be replaced

iron heel
  • NSFW
9.9

A heavy iron tool used to crush a foot or leg to hurt someone

A nickname for the state of North Carolina in the United States

The thin raised back of a woman's shoe is narrow at base, wider in middle, narrow at top

Surface Forms

heel infinitive
heeled past
heeled past participle
heeling present participle
heels third person singular

Etymology

To heel a shoe means to put a new heel on it; the verb simply uses the name of the part for the repair action.