footfall

noun

foot·​fall ˈfu̇t-ˌfȯl How to pronounce footfall (audio)
: the sound of a footstep

Examples of footfall in a Sentence

She heard footfalls echoing in the hall.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
These blue-chip centers’ footfalls, sales and occupancy are thriving. — Footwear News, 18 May 2026 Throughout, there are hidden staircases, doorways, a chapel, and halls filled with history’s footfalls. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 May 2026 The book portrays the city as a liminal metropolis where the line demarcating business and crime has been worn faint by heavy footfall from both directions. — Mark O’Connell, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026 But for the most part, my own attention was undivided, and the audience seemed rapt, hanging off every slow pan of the camera, every trudging footfall through the mud. — John Semley, Wired News, 1 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for footfall

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1616, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of footfall was circa 1616

Rhymes for footfall

See All Rhymes for footfall

Browse Nearby Words

-footer
footfall
foot fault
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Footfall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/footfall. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

footfall

noun
foot·​fall ˈfu̇t-ˌfȯl How to pronounce footfall (audio)
: the sound of a footstep
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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