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step

step

450 1.0
An act of lifting and putting down one foot when walking
  • noun
  • /stɛp/
: paso
  • I struggled to breathe, each step taking longer than the last.
  • one step
  • the first step
  • a few steps

You cannot stop the step that reaches in the dark.

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Examples

  • You just need to take that first step and the staircase appears.

  • That changes as I take one step to the next step.

  • We better watch our step.

  • There was a lightness in my step and a new twinkle in my eye.

    Academic text (1999)
  • But they held, and with each step I grew bolder, my pace quickening.

  • Please watch your step.

  • He took a deliberate step forward, ready to address the crowd.

  • Each step of the hike brought us closer to the breathtaking view at the summit.

  • With every step she took, the sound of crunching leaves filled the air.

Synonyms

tread
vsstep
  • Literature
9 6.5

A single step or the sound a foot makes when walking

focuses on the physical action of moving a foot rather than its sound
footstep
vsstep
4 1.0

One movement of a foot when walking

describes the action of lifting a foot and placing it down

Idioms

65 1.8

In a gradual way, doing each part one after another

Be careful when you move and act to avoid danger and trouble

In a better position because you are ready before others

To do a task slowly, handling each part before the next

28 4.6

To take responsibility and act when a difficult situation happens

18 6.1

Not in agreement with the ideas or actions of others

15 3.5

Doing something at the same time and in the same way as someone else

8 6.6

Make someone angry by doing their job or making decisions for them

6 4.9

An energetic way of walking that shows happiness or confidence

To imagine how someone else feels and sees things

Become the main focus of people's attention after doing something important

A small action that leads to a very large benefit for all people

2 7.3

To take responsibility and act when someone else cannot

Progress that bigger problems later undo

worth every step
  • Informal
1 6.6

So valuable that you feel the effort was not wasted

1 7.3

Think in a new way instead of your usual way

No two experiences are exactly the same

1 8.6

To have unexpected problems because of your own mistake

Compounds

308 1.4

The first action you take to begin something

94 4.1

Done in a single stage that needs only one main step

33 2.8

Done in separate parts, each finished before the next

28 3.6

An increase in amount, level, or strength

11 1.9

A set of foot movements that form part of a dance

two-step
  • Texting
10 3.9

Needing two actions to prove a person's identity online

8 4.6

A decrease in amount or level, for example moving to a lower job

7 4.1

A lively partner dance with quick then slow steps to music

A method with two steps done one after the other

3 5.6

A wrong action or decision that hurts progress

2 2.0

A small stool with one or two steps used to reach high places

2 3.0

A short portable structure with flat steps and two sides joined at the top to form an A shape

1 4.0

A kind of dance where exact foot movements make the rhythm

half step
  • Specialized
1 4.4

The smallest jump between two notes in Western music, one piano key apart

1 8.9

A march with straight legs swung high used in military parades

step-up transformer
  • Specialized
1 4.8

A device that raises the voltage of electric current that changes direction

A stage in getting better after illness, injury, or addiction

naughty step
  • Baby Talk
1 7.7

A place where a child sits as a short punishment for bad behaviour

one-step
  • Archaic
1 9.5

A fast ballroom dance from the early 1900s with quick walking steps

1 8.4

A short one-piece underwear with shoulder straps worn by women or children

step-down
  • Specialized
1 5.5

A device like a transformer that lowers electrical voltage

1 9.9

A stepped edge at the top of a wall under a sloping roof

whole step
  • Specialized
1 5.4

The distance between two notes that are two piano keys apart

step rocket
  • Specialized
1 7.8

A rocket with two or more parts that fire one after another and drop away when empty to reach space

step-down transformer
  • Specialized
1 5.6

A device that lowers high electric voltage so appliances work safely

A track event where an athlete does a hop, a step, then a long jump in one run

corbel step
  • Specialized
9.9

A stone or brick step that sticks out along the sloping edge of a gable wall

9.9

A stepped top on the end wall of a roof that looks like stone stairs

How Big

leap
95 1.0
stride
43 1.6
step
450 1.0
tap
57 1.0

Surface Forms

step singular
steps plural

Etymology

Step comes from an old English word steppan meaning 'to place the foot', so a step is one act of lifting a foot and putting it down when you walk.