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.
Amidst the footfalls are screams and wails; the asphalt is littered with body parts, blurred for broadcast. — Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026 De Montpellier said shops and shopping centers face lower footfall, closures and lost sales; hotels, cafés, restaurants and travel services risk losing activity that customers are less likely to reschedule. — Hugh Leask, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026 Thunderous applause may greet one documentary premiering at the Venice Film Festival, fitting for a story of athletes who shake the earth with every footfall. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 31 Aug. 2026 The company’s most recent figures show footfall across its portfolio reached 320 million in 2025, an 18% increase on the year before. — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 24 Aug. 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 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

footfall

noun
foot·​fall ˈfu̇t-ˌfȯl How to pronounce footfall (audio)
: the sound of a footstep
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All