sandal

noun

san·​dal ˈsan-dᵊl How to pronounce sandal (audio)
1
: a shoe consisting of a sole strapped to the foot
2
: a low-cut shoe that fastens by an ankle strap
3
: a strap to hold on a slipper or low shoe
4
: a rubber overshoe cut very low
sandaled adjective
or less commonly sandalled
ˈsan-dᵊld How to pronounce sandal (audio)

Examples of sandal in a Sentence

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.
He later got swept up in the sword-and-sandal sordidness of Caligula (1979). — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 29 Oct. 2026 The Jelly and Cage sandals from SS26, as well as the Aura loafer from Rider’s debut spring 2026 collection with a small Triomphe logo in a wide range of colors, are among bestsellers, Merle says. — Laure Guilbault, Vogue, 28 Oct. 2026 The heels appear to be the Jimmy Choo Max sandals, which are a red carpet staple, especially for petite stars like Kardashian, Becky G and Jenna Ortega. — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2026 Shortly after, a heavyset man wearing gray sweats, white socks and black sandals and a black hooded sweatershirt exits the passenger-side door. — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sandal

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin sandalium, from Greek sandalion, diminutive of sandalon sandal

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sandal was in the 14th century

Rhymes for sandal

See All Rhymes for sandal

Browse Nearby Words

Sandakan
sandal
sandal brick
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sandal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sandal. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

sandal

noun
san·​dal ˈsan-dᵊl How to pronounce sandal (audio)
: a shoe consisting of a sole strapped to the foot

More from Merriam-Webster on sandal

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sandal

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 Pyrrhic

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

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
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
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All