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 These are the ten most popular Scottish distillery visitors centers according to footfall. Mark Littler, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024 Domestic passenger volumes had reached 93% of the pre-covid era by December 2022 while international footfalls stood at more than 80%, according to credit agency ICRA. Niharika Sharma, Quartz, 21 Mar. 2023 Even with this increase, footfall remained 30.5% lower than 2019 levels. Cally Russell, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2023 But even as Levi’s orchestrations recede, an equally detail-rich music intrudes: bits of birdsong, echoing footfalls and, before long, dogs’ barks, human screams, crackling flames, whistling trains and the unmistakable sound of gunshots. Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 14 Dec. 2023 The pandemic has caused a loss of footfall in London due to a lack of tourism, shoppers, and workers; however, a strong recovery is expected now that the city is open, being one of the countries with the most relaxed restrictions. Tiffany Lung, Forbes, 5 May 2022 The whole encounter had been as quaint and satisfying as expected, until Lionel retrieved the shoes a week later and found that the left one now let out a cartoonish squeak with every footfall. Dave Eggers, The Atlantic, 12 Aug. 2023 Even with visitor numbers recovering, footfall and sales are still roughly 20% below the levels seen before the pandemic, the New West End Company business group found in October. Evelyn Yu, Bloomberg.com, 14 Feb. 2023 Commercial real estate is suffering, municipal taxes are declining, and the viability of businesses that depend on intense footfall–from barbers to baristas–is being undermined. Ian Goldin, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'footfall.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1616, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of footfall was circa 1616

Dictionary Entries Near footfall

Cite this Entry

“Footfall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/footfall. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

footfall

noun
foot·​fall ˈfu̇t-ˌfȯl How to pronounce footfall (audio)
: the sound of a footstep
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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