step

noun \ ˈstep \

Updated on: 9 Dec 2017

Definition of step

1 : a rest for the foot in ascending or descending: such as

a : one of a series of structures consisting of a riser and a tread

b : a ladder rung

2 a (1) : an advance or movement made by raising the foot and bringing it down elsewhere

(2) : a combination of foot or foot and body movements constituting a unit or a repeated pattern

a dance step

(3) : manner of walking : stride

b : footprint 1

c : the sound of a footstep

3 a : the space passed over in one step

b : a short distance

c : the height of one stair

4 steps plural : course, way

directed his steps toward the river

5 a : a degree, grade, or rank in a scale

b : a stage in a process

was guided through every step of my career

6 : a frame on a ship designed to receive an upright shaft; especially : a block supporting the heel of a mast

7 : an action, proceeding, or measure often occurring as one in a series

taking steps to improve the situation

8 : a steplike offset or part usually occurring in a series

9 : the interval between two adjacent notes in a musical scale

10 : step aerobics

11 : a slight lead in or as if in a race

has a step on the competition

—

steplike

play \-ˌlīk\ adjective

—

stepped

play \ˈstept\ adjective

— in step

1 : with each foot moving to the same time as the corresponding foot of others or in time to music

2 : in harmony or agreement

— out of step

: not in step

out of step with the times

See step defined for English-language learners

See step defined for kids

Examples of step in a Sentence

She took one step forward.
The baby took her first steps today.
I heard steps on the stairs.
The edge of the cliff was only about three steps to my left.
The cottage is just steps from the beach.
He walks with a spring in his step.
She walked down the hall with a quick step.
a major step towards independence
We are taking steps to correct the situation.

Recent Examples of step from the Web

His first step was to handle what was right in front of him.

— joanne silberner, Discover Magazine, "A Global State of Mind," 13 Nov. 2017
Jones got past Coleman and had a step on him heading into the end zone, but quarterback Matt Ryan’s pass attempt was overthrown. 2.

— jourdan rodrigue, charlotteobserver, "Panthers’ hold on to lead and beat Falcons – here are 11 moments that mattered," 5 Nov. 2017
Leadership also intends to consult with the Legislative Research Commission to understand the necessary steps to give investigators subpoena power.

— darcy costello, The Courier-Journal, "House GOP leaders, sans Hoover, launch independent investigation in wake of sexual harassment report," 4 Nov. 2017
Kicking down the door would give us that extra step to bring it home.

— gary bedore, kansascity, "This new KU player got through ‘long year’ on the bench with daily phone calls to dad," 3 Nov. 2017
Glendale is one step closer to its vision of installing a regional streetcar that may connect to Burbank after the Glendale City Council agreed Tuesday to award a contract to a consultant to begin a feasibility study on the project.

— jeff landa, Glendale News-Press, "Glendale to begin study of possible Glendale-Burbank streetcar route," 3 Nov. 2017
The announcement has been celebrated by some as an important step toward raising awareness, but its ability to make a tangible impact is extremely limited.

— zachary siegel, Slate Magazine, "Where Are the Opioid Recovery Activists?," 29 Oct. 2017
Inexplicably, the Obama administration fought requests for legitimate exemptions every step of the way.

— james c. capretta, National Review, "Obama’s No-Exception HHS Mandate: An Unnecessary Fight that Backfired," 27 Oct. 2017
To take care of your washing machine, Carolyn Forte, director of the Cleaning Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute, says follow these six key steps.

— lauren smith, Good Housekeeping, "How to Clean a Washing Machine — And Yes, You Need to Do It," 25 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'step.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of step

Middle English, from Old English stæpe; akin to Old High German stapfo step, stampfōn to stamp

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

step Synonyms

Synonyms

expedient, means, move, shift, measure

Antonyms

country mile, long haul, mile

Near Antonyms

infinity, light-year

Other Architecture Terms

buttress, casita, cornice, fanlight, garret, lintel, parapet, pilaster, plinth

step

verb

Definition of step

stepped; stepping

intransitive verb

1 a : to move by raising the foot and bringing it down elsewhere or by moving each foot in succession

b : dance

2 a : to go on foot : walk

b obsolete : advance, proceed

c : to be on one's way : leave —often used with along

d : to move briskly

kept us stepping

3 : to press down with the foot

step on the brake

4 : to come as if at a single step

stepped into a good job

transitive verb

1 : to take by moving the feet in succession

step three paces

2 a : to move (the foot) in any direction : set

the first man to step foot on the moon

b : to traverse on foot

3 : to go through the steps of : perform

step a minuet

4 : to make erect by fixing the lower end in a step

step the mast

5 : to measure by steps

step off 50 yards

6 a : to provide with steps

b : to make steps in

step a key

7 : to construct or arrange in or as if in steps

craggy peaks with terraces stepped up the sides
—Time

— step on it

: to increase one's speed : hurry up

See step defined for English-language learners

Examples of step in a Sentence

She stepped onto the bus.
They stepped aside to let her pass.
Please step away from the door.
He stepped outside for a moment.
Step in my office for a minute.

Recent Examples of step from the Web

People would step off airplanes with no idea how to set their watches.

— michael s. rosenwald, Washington Post, "‘Termination of chaos’: How daylight saving solved America’s clock craziness," 4 Nov. 2017
This pretty typical jeans-and-a-tee outfit was stepped all the way up, though, with the addition of YSL's Niki 105 thigh-high boots with all-over embroidered white crystals and its five-figure price tag.

— kate friedman, Glamour, "Kendall Jenner Wore a Casual Tee-and-Jeans Outfit With $10,000 Boots on Her Birthday," 3 Nov. 2017
In recent years, many people have stepped onto the capital’s housing ladder only with the help of a huge mortgage.

— The Economist, "Letting out some airLondon’s bubbly housing market goes flat," 2 Nov. 2017
Drake would step away from work for 10 or 15 minutes to get some biking in, Jimmy said.

— elizabeth chuck, NBC News, "Who Were the Victims of the New York Terrorist Attack?," 1 Nov. 2017
Jennifer Appel, Tasha Fuiava, and their two dogs have finally stepped foot on land after being rescued by the Navy off the coast of Japan on October 25.

— tess koman, Cosmopolitan, "Questions Emerge as Women Lost at Sea for 5 Months Reveal They Didn't Use Emergency Beacon," 31 Oct. 2017
The light turned green; Grandpa John stepped on the gas.

— aaron gilbreath, Longreads, "The Itch and the Touch," 28 Oct. 2017
An ancient gentleman in a brown zoot suit that might have been purchased in that cut’s heyday stepped creakily out of a Cadillac.

— alexis c. madrigal, The Atlantic, "Free Money at the Edge of the Tech Boom," 19 Oct. 2017
Despite Pence’s stepping-stone comment, going back to the moon does very little to help strengthen the human journey to Mars and worlds beyond.

— neel v. patel, Slate Magazine, "Donald Trump Should Stop Obsessing Over the Moon," 13 Oct. 2017

First Known Use of step

before 12th century

step Synonyms

Synonyms

ambulate, foot (it), hoof (it), leg (it), pad, walk, traipse, tread

Antonyms

crawl, creep, poke

Related Words

parade, promenade; march, pace, step out, stride, troop; power walk; hike, peregrinate, trek; amble, mosey, perambulate, ramble, saunter, stroll, wander; clump, stomp, stump, tramp, trample, tromp; footslog, plod, trudge; gimp, hobble, limp; mince, prance, pussyfoot, tiptoe; bounce, sashay, stalk, strut, swagger; falter, lumber, lurch, pound, scuff, shamble, shuffle, stagger, stumble, toddle, waddle; nip, tap, trip, trot

Near Antonyms

dally, dawdle, dillydally, drag, hang (around or out), lag, linger, loiter, poke, tarry; amble, lumber, plod, saunter, shuffle, stroll; decelerate, slow (down or up)

step-

combining form

Definition of step-

: related by virtue of a remarriage (as of a parent) and not by blood

stepparent

stepsister

Origin and Etymology of step-

Middle English, from Old English stēop-; akin to Old High German stiof- step-, Old English astēpan to deprive, bereave

STEP Defined for English Language Learners

step

noun

Definition of step for English Language Learners

: a movement made by lifting your foot and putting it down in a different place
: the sound of a foot making a step
: the distance covered in one step; also : a short distance

step

verb

Definition of step for English Language Learners

: to move in a specified direction by lifting your foot and putting it down in a different place : to move somewhere by walking
: to put your foot down

step-

combining form

Definition of step- for English Language Learners

—used to describe family relationships that are created when a person who already has a child marries someone who is not the child's parent

STEP Defined for Kids

step

noun \ ˈstep \

Definition of step for Students

1 : a movement made by lifting one foot and putting it down in another spot

2 : a rest or place for the foot in going up or down : stair

3 : a combination of foot and body movements in a repeated pattern

a dance step

4 : manner of walking

a lively step

5 : footprint

6 : the sound of a footstep

I heard steps in the hall.

7 : the space passed over in one step

The garden was a few steps away.

8 : a short distance

The house is only a step away.

9 : the height of one stair

10 steps plural : ¹course 2

We directed our steps toward home.

11 : one of a series of actions taken to achieve something

They took steps to correct the situation.

12 : a stage in a process

What's the first step in assembling the toy?

13 : a level, grade, or rank in a scale or series

His work was a step above average.

14 : the distance from one tone of a musical scale or one note on a musical staff to another that is one tone away ( half step ) or two tones away ( whole step )

step

verb

Definition of step for Students

stepped; stepping

1 : to move in a particular way or direction by lifting one foot and putting it down in another spot

They stepped aside to let me pass.

2 : ¹dance 1

The couple stepped gracefully together.

3 : to go on foot : walk

He stepped slowly along the path.

4 : to move quickly

They were really stepping along.

5 : to put or press the foot on or in

I stepped on glass.

Don't step in the puddle.

6 : to come or move as if at a step by the foot

I stepped into a good job.

7 : to measure by steps

Step off ten yards.

— step up

: to increase the amount, speed, or intensity of

The factory stepped up production.

Learn More about step

See words that rhyme with step Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for step Spanish Central: Translation of step Nglish: Translation of step for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of step for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about step

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step

Definition of step

steplike

stepped

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Examples of step in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of step

step Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Other Architecture Terms

step

Definition of step

Examples of step in a Sentence

Recent Examples of step from the Web

First Known Use of step

step Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

step-

Definition of step-

Origin and Etymology of step-

STEP Defined for English Language Learners

step

Definition of step for English Language Learners

step

Definition of step for English Language Learners

step-

Definition of step- for English Language Learners

STEP Defined for Kids

step

Definition of step for Students

step

Definition of step for Students

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