footfall

/ˈfʊtfɔːl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈfʊtfɔːl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈfu̇t-ˌfȯl/ (ame, mw)

footfall — noun

  • footfallsingular
  • footfallsplural

1. the total number of visitors entering a shop or similar place during a set perio

1.名詞C1
釋義

the total number of visitors entering a shop or similar place during a set period.

例句

Saturday rain cut footfall at Megan's market by nearly thirty percent.

cut footfall at + business — fewer visitors over time

The cafe added live music to increase evening footfall after work.

increase footfall — common business reporting pattern

同義詞
  • customer traffic

    the most everyday retail phrase for people coming into a shop

  • visitor numbers

    broader term that also fits museums, parks, and public buildings

  • attendance

    better for events, classes, or meetings than for normal shopping

文法句型

high/low footfall

a rise/drop in footfall

footfall in/at + place

用法筆記

Usually used in retail, hospitality, and venue management to talk about visitor numbers rather than sales. It is commonly treated as one overall measure, even when many people are being counted.

常見錯誤

❌Weekend footfall were strong at the mall.
✅Weekend footfall was strong at the mall.
💡in this sense, footfall is usually treated as one overall amount, so it normally takes a singular verb.

2. the noise of someone's step as a foot lands while they are walking.

2.名詞C1
釋義

the noise of someone's step as a foot lands while they are walking.

例句

Élise froze when a soft footfall sounded outside the dark classroom door.

a soft footfall — one heard step in a quiet place

Haruto recognized his father's footfall on the stairs before the knock.

同義詞
  • footstep

    everyday word that can mean either the step itself or its sound

  • tread

    more formal and often focused on the manner of stepping

  • tramp

    suggests heavier and louder steps than footfall

反義詞
  • silence

    the absence of any audible step or movement

文法句型

hear a footfall

the footfall of + person

footfall on + stairs/floor

用法筆記

More formal and literary than footstep. It refers to the sound of steps, especially when the listener notices them clearly in a quiet place.

常見錯誤

❌We saw muddy footfall across the kitchen tiles.
✅We saw muddy footprints across the kitchen tiles.
💡footfall is the sound of steps, while footprints are the marks left behind.