foot

noun

/fʊt/

(plural feet

/fiːt/

)

Idioms

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part of body

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[countable] the lowest part of the leg, below the ankle, on which a person or an animal stands

My feet are aching.
She kicked the ball with her right foot.
He's broken several bones in his left foot.
The whole audience rose to its feet (= stood up) and cheered.
to leap/jump/spring to your feet (= to stand up quickly and easily)
to scramble/struggle/stagger to your feet (= to stand up slowly and with difficulty)
on foot We came on foot (= we walked).
on your feet I've been on my feet (= standing or walking around) all day.
Come on lads—on your feet and do some work!
walking around the house in bare feet (= not wearing shoes or socks)
We were stamping our feet (= hitting them on the ground) to keep warm.
Please wipe your feet (= your shoes) on the mat.
The hot sand burned the soles of my feet.
He is currently resting a foot injury.
a foot pump (= operated using your foot, not your hand)
a foot passenger (= one who travels on a ferry without a car)

Homophones feat | feetfeat feet

/fiːt/

feat noun
- The birds' flight south is an amazing feat of endurance.
feet noun (plural of foot)
- The audience rose to their feet in appreciation.

Synonyms standstand

get up
stand up
rise
get to your feet
be on your feet

These words all mean to be in a vertical position with your weight on your feet, or to put yourself in this position.

stand
to be in an vertical position with your weight on your feet:
- She was too weak to stand.
- Stand still when I’m talking to you!
Stand is usually used with an adverb or prepositional phrase to show where or how somebody stands, but sometimes another phrase or clause is used to show what somebody does while they are standing: We stood talking for a few minutes. • He stood and looked out to sea.
get up
to get into a standing position from a sitting, kneeling or lying position:
- Please don’t get up!
stand up
to be in a standing position; to stand after sitting:
- Stand up straight!
- Everyone would stand up when the teacher entered the classroom.

stand, get up or stand up?Stand usually means ‘to be in a standing position’ but can also mean ‘to get into a standing position’. Stand up can be used with either of these meanings, but its use is more limited: it is used especially when somebody tells somebody or a group of people to stand. Get up is the most frequent way of saying ‘get into a standing position’, and this can be from a sitting, kneeling or lying position; if you stand up, this is nearly always after sitting, especially on a chair. If you want to tell somebody politely that they do not need to move from their chair, use get up: Please don’t stand up!

rise
(formal) to get into a standing position from a sitting, kneeling or lying position:
- Would you all rise, please, to welcome our visiting speaker.
get to your feet
to stand up after sitting, kneeling or lying:
- I helped her to get to her feet.
be on your feet
to be standing up:
- I’ve been on my feet all day.

Collocations Physical appearancePhysical appearance

A person may be described as having:

Eyes

(bright) blue/green/(dark/light) brown/hazel eyes
deep-set/sunken/bulging/protruding eyes
small/beady/sparkling/twinkling/(informal) shifty eyes
piercing/penetrating/steely eyes
bloodshot/watery/puffy eyes
bushy/thick/dark/raised/arched eyebrows
long/dark/thick/curly/false eyelashes/lashes

Face

a flat/bulbous/pointed/sharp/snub nose
a straight/a hooked/a Roman/(formal) an aquiline nose
full/thick/thin/pouty lips
dry/chapped/cracked lips
flushed/rosy/red/ruddy/pale cheeks
soft/chubby/sunken cheeks
white/perfect/crooked/protruding teeth
a large/high/broad/wide/sloping forehead
a strong/weak/pointed/double chin
a long/full/bushy/wispy/goatee beard
a long/thin/bushy/droopy/handlebar/pencil moustache

Hair and skin

pale/fair/olive/dark/tanned skin
dry/oily/smooth/rough/leathery/wrinkled skin
a dark/pale/light/sallow/ruddy/olive/swarthy/clear complexion
deep/fine/little/facial wrinkles
blonde/blond/fair/(light/dark) brown/(jet-)black/auburn/red/(British English) ginger/grey hair
straight/curly/wavy/frizzy/spiky hair
thick/thin/fine/bushy/thinning hair
dyed/bleached/soft/silky/dry/greasy/shiny hair
long/short/shoulder-length/cropped hair
a bald/balding/shaved head
a receding hairline
a bald patch/spot
a side/centre(British English) parting

Body

a long/short/thick/slender/(disapproving) scrawny neck
broad/narrow/sloping/rounded/hunched shoulders
a bare/broad/muscular/small/large chest
a flat/swollen/bulging stomach
a small/tiny/narrow/slim/slender/28-inch waist
big/wide/narrow/slim hips
a straight/bent/arched/broad/hairy back
thin/slender/muscular arms
big/large/small/manicured/calloused/gloved hands
long/short/fat/slender/delicate/bony fingers
long/muscular/hairy/shapely/(both informal, often disapproving) skinny/spindly legs
muscular/chubby/(informal, disapproving) flabby thighs
big/little/small/dainty/wide/narrow/bare feet
a good/a slim/a slender/an hourglass figure
be of slim/medium/average/large/athletic/stocky build

see also athlete’s foot, barefoot, club foot, splay-foot, trench foot, underfoot

Extra Examples

Daniel was shifting anxiously from foot to foot.
He shifted his weight onto his back foot.
He swung a foot at the ball but missed completely.
His foot caught in the cable and he fell under the train.
She put her foot down on the accelerator and the car lurched forward.
She was tapping her foot impatiently.
That man trod on my foot and he didn't even apologize.
soldiers on foot patrol
I looked at my watch and got to my feet.
The ancient city is buried beneath our feet.
The sand felt warm under her feet.

Topics Bodya1

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

left
right
back
…

verb + foot

get to
jump to
leap to
…

foot + verb

catch
slip
crunch
…

foot + noun

massage
injury
passenger
…

preposition

beneath your foot
under your foot
from foot to foot
…

phrases

the ball of the/your foot
from head to foot
put your feet up
…

See full entry

-footed

(in adjectives and adverbs) having or using the type or number of foot/feet mentioned

bare-footed
four-footed
a left-footed shot into the corner

part of sock

[countable, usually singular] the part of a sock, stocking, etc. that covers the foot

measurement

(plural feet, foot)

(abbreviation ft)

(in Britain and North America) a unit for measuring length equal to 12 inches or 30.48 centimetres

a six-foot high wall
We're flying at 35 000 feet.
‘How tall are you?’ ‘Five foot nine’ (= five feet and nine inches).
foot of something The town was under several feet of water (= the water was several feet deep).
We had over a foot of snow in a few hours (= the snow was over a foot deep).
The store has 600 square feet of retail space.

Topics Maths and measurementa2

base/bottom/end

[singular] the foot of something the lowest part of something; the base or bottom of something

The city now reaches to the foot of the surrounding mountains.
At the foot of the stairs she turned to face him.
See the foot of this page for a partial bibliography.
(British English) The team remains stuck at the foot of the table (= with fewer points than all the other teams).

Extra Examples

Our offices are at the foot of the hill.
The railway line runs between the foot of the cliff and the beach.

Synonyms bottombottom

base
foundation
foot

These are all words for the lowest part of something.

bottom
[usually sing.] the lowest part of something:
- Footnotes are given at the bottom of each page.
- I waited for them at the bottom of the hill.
base
[usually sing.] the lowest part of something, especially the part or surface on which it rests or stands:
- The lamp has a heavy base.
foundation
[usually pl.] a layer of stone, concrete, etc. that forms the solid underground base of a building:
- to lay the foundations of the new school
foot
[sing.] the lowest part of something:
- At the foot of the stairs she turned to face him.

bottom or foot?Foot is used to talk about a limited number of things: it is used most often with tree, hill/mountain, steps/stairs and page. Bottom can be used to talk about a much wider range of things, including those mentioned above for foot. Foot is generally used in more literary contexts.Patterns

at/near/towards the bottom/base/foot of something
on the bottom/base of something
(a) firm/solid/strong base/foundation(s)

the further or lower end of something

The nurse hung a chart at the foot of the bed (= the part of the bed where your feet normally are when you are lying in it).
He sat at the foot of the table.

in poetry

[singular] (specialist) a unit of rhythm in a line of poetry containing one stressed syllable and one or more syllables without stress. Each of the four divisions in the following line is a foot

For men / may come / and men / may go.

Topics Literature and writingc2

Word OriginOld English fōt, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch voet and German Fuss, from an Indo-European root shared by Sanskrit pad, pāda, Greek pous, pod-, and Latin pes, ped- ‘foot’.

Idioms

be rushed/run off your feet

to be extremely busy; to have too many things to do
- Weekdays are slow in the restaurant, but at weekends the staff are rushed off their feet.

bind/tie somebody hand and foot

to tie somebody’s hands and feet together so that they cannot move or escape
to prevent somebody from doing what they want by creating rules, limits, etc.

the boot is on the other foot (British English)

(North American English the shoe is on the other foot)

used to say that a situation has changed so that somebody now has power or authority over the person who used to have power or authority over them

cut the ground from under somebody’s feet

to suddenly cause somebody’s idea or plan to fail by doing something to stop them from continuing with it

drag your feet/heels

to be deliberately slow in doing something or in making a decision related noun foot-draggingTopics Preferences and decisionsc2

fall/land on your feet

to be lucky in finding yourself in a good situation, or in getting out of a difficult situation
- You landed on your feet, getting such a well-paid job with so little experience.
- Jim’s always getting himself in trouble, but he usually seems to fall on his feet.

feet first

with your feet touching the ground before any other part of your body
- He landed feet first.
(humorous) if you leave a place feet first, you are carried out after you are dead
- You'll have to carry me out feet first!

find your feet

to become able to act independently and with confidence
- I only recently joined the firm so I'm still finding my feet.

…my foot!

(old-fashioned, informal, humorous) a strong way of saying that you disagree completely with what has just been said
- ‘Ian can't come because he's tired.’ ‘Tired my foot! Lazy more like!’
Topics Opinion and argumentc2

from head to foot/toe

covering your whole body
- We were covered from head to foot in mud.
- She was dressed from head to toe in red.

get/have cold feet

(informal) to suddenly become nervous about doing something that you had planned to do
- He was going to ask her but he got cold feet and said nothing.
Topics Feelingsc2

get your feet wet

(especially North American English, informal) to start doing something that is new for you
- At that time he was a young actor, just getting his feet wet.

get/have a/your foot in the door

to manage to enter an organization, a field of business, etc. that could bring you success
- I always wanted to work in TV but it took me two years to get a foot in the door.
Topics Successc2

get/have itchy feet

(informal) to want to travel or move to a different place; to want to do something different
- After a few years in one place, I get itchy feet.

get/start off on the right/wrong foot (with somebody)

(informal) to start a relationship well/badly
- I seem to have got off on the wrong foot with the new boss.

have feet of clay

to have a fault or weakness in your character
- When the actor was imprisoned for drug offences, his fans were upset to find that their hero had feet of clay.

have/keep your feet on the ground

to have a sensible and realistic attitude to life
- In spite of his overnight stardom he still manages to keep his feet on the ground.

have/keep a foot in both camps

to be involved in or connected with two different groups, especially ones that oppose each other

have one foot in the grave

(informal) to be so old or ill that you are not likely to live much longerTopics Illnessc2

have two left feet

(informal) to be very awkward in your movements, especially when you are dancing or playing a sport

have the world at your feet

to be very successful and admiredTopics Successc2

in your stocking(ed) feet

wearing socks or stockings but not shoes

not let the grass grow under your feet

to not delay in getting things done

(put/catch somebody) on the back foot

(to put somebody) at a disadvantage or in difficulty
- Advances in drone technology have caught lawmakers on the back foot.
- The side that’s on the back foot, struggling to defend, will usually give away more penalties.
- We'd like to put the fossil fuel industry on the back foot.
opposite on the front foot

on your feet

completely well or in a normal state again after an illness or a time of trouble
- Sue's back on her feet again after her operation.
- The new chairman hopes to get the company back on its feet within six months.
Synonyms stand
stand
- get up
- stand up
- rise
- get to your feet
- be on your feet
These words all mean to be in a vertical position with your weight on your feet, or to put yourself in this position.
- stand to be in an vertical position with your weight on your feet:
  She was too weak to stand.
  Stand still when I’m talking to you!
  Stand is usually used with an adverb or prepositional phrase to show where or how somebody stands, but sometimes another phrase or clause is used to show what somebody does while they are standing: We stood talking for a few minutes. • He stood and looked out to sea.
- get up to get into a standing position from a sitting, kneeling or lying position:
  Please don’t get up!
- stand up to be in a standing position; to stand after sitting:
  Stand up straight!
  Everyone would stand up when the teacher entered the classroom.
stand, get up or stand up?Stand usually means ‘to be in a standing position’ but can also mean ‘to get into a standing position’. Stand up can be used with either of these meanings, but its use is more limited: it is used especially when somebody tells somebody or a group of people to stand. Get up is the most frequent way of saying ‘get into a standing position’, and this can be from a sitting, kneeling or lying position; if you stand up, this is nearly always after sitting, especially on a chair. If you want to tell somebody politely that they do not need to move from their chair, use get up: Please don’t stand up!
- rise (formal) to get into a standing position from a sitting, kneeling or lying position:
  Would you all rise, please, to welcome our visiting speaker.
- get to your feet to stand up after sitting, kneeling or lying:
  I helped her to get to her feet.
- be on your feet to be standing up:
  I’ve been on my feet all day.
Topics Illnessc2

on the front foot (especially British English)

at an advantage
- They allowed the home side to get on the front foot right at the start.
opposite (putcatch somebody) on the back foot
taking positive steps to achieve something
- He has been firmly on the front foot, calling for politicians and police to intervene.

the patter of tiny feet

(informal or humorous) a way of referring to children when somebody wants, or is going to have, a baby
- We can't wait to hear the patter of tiny feet.

pull the rug (out) from under somebody’s feet

(informal) to take help or support away from somebody suddenly

put your best foot forward

to make a great effort to do something, especially if it is difficult or you are feeling tired

put your feet up

to sit down and relax, especially with your feet raised and supported
- After a hard day's work, it's nice to get home and put your feet up.

put your foot down

to be very strict in opposing what somebody wishes to do
- You've got to put your foot down and make him stop seeing her.
(British English) to drive faster
- She put her foot down and roared past them.

put your foot in it (British English)

(also put your foot in your mouth North American English, British English)

to say or do something that upsets, offends or embarrasses somebody
- I really put my foot in it with Ella—I didn't know she'd split up with Tom.

put a foot wrong

(usually used in negative sentences) to make a mistake
- In the last two games he has hardly put a foot wrong.

set foot in/on something

to enter or visit a place
- the first man to set foot on the moon
- I vowed never to set foot in the place again.

set somebody/something on their/its feet

to make somebody/something independent or successful
- His business sense helped set the club on its feet again.
Topics Successc2

shoot yourself in the foot

(informal) to do or say something that will cause you a lot of trouble or harm, especially when you are trying to get an advantage for yourself

sit at somebody’s feet

to admire somebody very much, especially a teacher or somebody from whom you try to learn

stand on your own (two) feet

to be independent and able to take care of yourself
- When his parents died he had to learn to stand on his own two feet.

sweep somebody off their feet

to make somebody fall suddenly and deeply in love with you
- She’s waiting for some hero to come and sweep her off her feet.
Topics Feelingsc2

take the weight off your feet

(informal) to sit down and rest, especially when you are tired
- Come and sit down and take the weight off your feet for a while.

think on your feet

to be able to think and react to things very quickly and effectively without any preparation

under your feet

in the way; stopping you from working, etc.
- I don't want you kids under my feet while I'm cooking.

vote with your feet

to show what you think about something by going or not going somewhere
- Shoppers voted with their feet and avoided the store.

wait on somebody hand and foot

(disapproving) to take care of somebody’s needs so well that they do not have to do anything for themselves
- He seems to expect me to wait on him hand and foot.

walk somebody off their feet

(informal) to make somebody walk so far or so fast that they are very tired
- I hope I haven’t walked you off your feet.