Meaning & use
the foothills
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Meaning
nounplural
The lower slopes at the base of a mountain or mountain range.
Grammar: Takes a plural verb and is often followed by 'of': 'the foothills of the Rockies'.
Patterns
- the foothills of something
- in the foothills
- at the foothills
The vineyard lies in the foothills of the Andes.
We hiked through the foothills before reaching the snow line.
Many small towns are built in the foothills of the Alps.
Word forms
| singular | foothill |
|---|
Common combinations
- in the foothills of
- They live in the foothills of the Himalayas.
- the lower foothills
- The lower foothills are covered with olive trees.
- the foothills of a mountain
- The trail starts at the foothills of the mountain.
Synonyms and how they differ
- piedmont
- A technical term for a region at the base of mountains; 'foothills' is the everyday word.
- lower slopes
- Similar meaning but focuses on the slopes themselves rather than the area.
Opposites
Word family
- foothill noun
- A single low hill at the base of a mountain.
Commonly confused: the foothills or footpath?
the foothills vs footpath
A footpath is a path for walking; foothills are the lower slopes of mountains.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
'The foothills' is plural and takes a plural verb, and it refers to the lower slopes, not the top. Option A has a singular verb, C confuses foothills with the summit, and D uses a singular noun with a plural verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “the foothills”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.