Meaning & use
step
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Meanings
nouncountable
One movement of the foot, lifting it and putting it down in a new place when walking or climbing.
Grammar: Often used with take or in the plural: she took a step back.
Patterns
- take a step
- a step towards something
He took a step back from the edge of the cliff.
The baby's first steps made everyone cheer.
We could hear her steps in the hallway.
nouncountable
One stage in a process or one action taken toward a goal.
Grammar: Usually followed by to, towards or in: the first step in the process.
Patterns
- the first step in something
- a step towards something
The first step is to read the instructions carefully.
Moving abroad was a big step for her family.
Each step in the recipe takes only five minutes.
nouncountable
A flat surface, usually one of a set, that you place your foot on to go up or down.
Grammar: Usually in a set; plural steps can mean a whole staircase.
Patterns
- sit on the step
- the top step
The cat sat on the bottom step, watching the rain.
Be careful, the top step is loose.
We waited on the front steps until the taxi arrived.
verbintransitive
To move by lifting one foot and putting it down, often in a particular direction or onto something.
Grammar: Usually followed by a direction word: step inside, step over the puddle.
Patterns
- step on something
- step over something
- step into something
Please step inside; the rain is getting heavier.
He stepped on a loose stone and twisted his ankle.
She stepped over the sleeping dog.
Word forms
| plural | steps |
|---|---|
| third person singular | steps |
| past tense | stepped |
| past participle | stepped |
| -ing form | stepping |
Common combinations
- take a step
- The committee took a step toward reform.
- step by step
- The video explains the repair step by step.
- step forward
- Three witnesses stepped forward after the appeal.
- a step in the right direction
- The new bike lanes are a step in the right direction.
- mind the step
- The sign read: mind the step.
- watch your step
- Watch your step; the floor is wet.
Synonyms and how they differ
- stage
- Stage names a period within a longer process, while step suggests a single action you carry out.
- pace
- Pace measures a walking stride as a distance, and also means speed, so it is less about a stage in a task.
- stride
- A stride is a long, confident step, whereas step is the neutral word for any single movement.
- measure
- Measure means an official action taken to solve a problem, so it fits laws and policies better than ordinary steps.
Word family
- stepping stone noun
- a flat stone to cross water, or an opportunity that helps you progress
- footstep noun
- the sound or mark of a foot
- stepwise adjective
- done in stages
- stepladder noun
- a folding ladder with flat steps
Commonly confused: step or steep? step or stair?
step vs steep
Steep describes a sharp slope, such as a steep hill; step is a movement of the foot or a stage in a process.
step vs stair
A stair is one step in a staircase, though the plural stairs is usually used for the whole set.
Practice
Choose the best word: The first ___ in baking bread is to measure the flour.
Choose one answer.
Step means a stage in a process. Stride is a long walking step, stair is part of a staircase, and steep describes a slope.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “step”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.