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Glite Dictionary
to set foot on terra firma

to set foot on terra firma

7.7
To step onto solid ground after being on a boat or in a plane
  • idiom
translation icon : pisar tierra firme
  • After a long journey, they finally set foot on terra firma!

Examples

  • Sailors longed to set foot on terra firma after months at sea.

  • After the turbulent flight, the passengers were relieved to set foot on terra firma again.

  • It felt wonderful to finally set foot on terra firma following the exhausting hiking expedition.

  • Have you ever set foot on terra firma after a long flight?

  • After the turbulent flight, the passengers were relieved to set foot on terra firma again.

  • Sailors longed to set foot on terra firma after months at sea.

  • It felt wonderful to finally set foot on terra firma following the exhausting hiking expedition.

Synonyms

to land
vsto set foot on terra firma
∞ 1.0

To come down and rest on a surface

is used specifically for arriving on solid ground after water or air travel
to touch down
vsto set foot on terra firma
45 3.6

To land on the ground after a flight

applies to arriving on solid ground after water or air travel for people

Antonyms

to take off
478 1.9

To leave the ground and begin to fly

Surface Forms

set foot on terra firma infinitive
set foot on terra firma past
set foot on terra firma past participle
setting foot on terra firma present participle
sets foot on terra firma third person singular

Morphology

set + foot + on + terra + firma

The construction 'set foot on' is compositional and clearly means to put one’s foot on something (i.e., arrive), so that part is transparent to learners who know the verbs and body-part noun. However, 'terra firma' is a Latin loan meaning 'solid ground' that many B1 learners may not recognize without prior exposure; because understanding the full sense relies partly on knowledge of this formulaic Latin phrase (even though many languages have equivalent expressions), the overall expression is only partially predictable.

Etymology

Set foot on terra firma comes from the image of finally putting your foot on solid ground after a long time at sea or in the air. Set foot means to place your foot and terra firma is Latin for 'firm land', so that's why the phrase means 'to arrive on solid ground'.