1 A2 neutral
To place your foot on something, intentionally or by accident.
"She stepped on a piece of broken glass and yelped in pain."
inseparable
step on
A2 neutral inseparable transitive
To place your foot on something, or (figuratively) to treat someone with disrespect or cruelty.
In plain English
Put your foot on something, or treat someone badly.
What does "step on" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic informal
To treat someone unfairly, disrespectfully, or as if they are unimportant.
"She had worked her whole career in companies that stepped on junior employees."
inseparable
3 B2 idiomatic neutral
To step on someone's toes: to offend someone or interfere with their work or authority.
"I didn't want to step on anyone's toes, so I asked permission before changing the filing system."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To place your foot directly on top of something.
Actually means
Put your foot on something, or treat someone badly.
Usage tip
The literal sense is very common. The figurative sense ('step on someone') means to exploit or bully them. 'Step on someone's toes' is a fixed idiom meaning to offend someone by interfering with their responsibilities.
Words that pair with "step on"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
toes foot feelings rights bug brake
How to conjugate "step on"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
step on
I/you/we/they
3rd person
steps on
he/she/it
Past simple
steped on
yesterday
Past participle
steped on
have + pp
-ing form
steping on
continuous
Hear "step on" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "step on" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "step on"
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Keep exploring
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