Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
to step on someone's toes

to step on someone's toes

4 6.6
Make someone angry by doing their job or making decisions for them
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : pisar los callos
  • He was involved in several political groups and activities and quickly developed a knack for stepping on people's toes.
  • sorry if I step on anyone's toes
  • want to step on anyone's toes
  • mean to step on anyone's toes

Examples

Synonyms

to encroach
vsto step on someone's toes
27 7.3

To gradually move into someone else's area, space, or rights without permission

offend by crossing responsibilities or territory rather than slow movement
to intrude on
vsto step on someone's toes
22 4.6

To go into someone's space or life without permission

offend by encroaching on another's responsibilities or territory
to butt in
vsto step on someone's toes
  • Informal
21 4.4

Interrupt someone who is speaking without being invited

offend by taking over someone's duties or territory, not just interrupting
to step on toes
vsto step on someone's toes
  • Informal
6 6.7

Offend someone by taking over work that belongs to them

has identical meaning but uses a slightly longer phrasing
to horn in
vsto step on someone's toes
  • Informal
5 8.2

To join a conversation or activity without being invited

offend by crossing into another's responsibilities rather than mere meddling
to encroach upon
vsto step on someone's toes
2 6.8

To gradually move into someone's personal space, rights or privacy

offend by directly crossing into another's responsibilities or territory
to poke one's nose into
vsto step on someone's toes
  • Informal
1 7.3

To try to take part in other people's business without being asked

offend by stepping into another's responsibilities or territory
to stick your nose into
vsto step on someone's toes
  • Informal
1 8.0

To get involved in other people's business when not wanted

offend by encroaching on someone's responsibilities or territory
to stick one's nose into
vsto step on someone's toes
  • UK
1 7.9

To get involved in other people's business without being asked

offend by crossing into others' duties or territory rather than casual meddling

Antonyms

to collaborate
96 4.6

To work with other people to reach a shared goal

How Offensive

to alienate
123 6.7
to overstep
11 5.9
to step on someone's toes
  • Informal
4 6.6
to interfere
487 3.5
to intrude on
22 4.6
to offend
524 2.8
to bother
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

step on someone's toes infinitive
stepped on someone's toes past
stepped on someone's toes past participle
stepping on someone's toes present participle
steps on someone's toes third person singular

Morphology

step + on + someone's + toe

The literal image of 'stepping on someone's toes' (causing pain by physically stepping on their toes) provides a clear metaphorical basis for meaning someone is offended or hurt, so a learner could plausibly guess a related sense. However, the conventionalized sense of interfering with someone’s responsibilities or territory is a specific pragmatic extension that is not fully predictable from the parts alone. This body-part discomfort metaphor exists in several languages, giving partial cross-linguistic cues, so the expression is only partially transparent to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Step on someone's toes comes from the clear image of a careless step that lands on another person's toes while walking or dancing, which hurts or makes them angry. So, it now means 'to offend or interfere with someone'.