footfall

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

footfall — 名詞

  • footfallsingular
  • footfallsplural

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

1.名詞C1
釋義

來客量

一段時間內進店人數

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.

星期六的雨讓 Megan 市集的來客量少了將近三成。

cut footfall at + business — fewer visitors over time

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

那家咖啡館加了現場音樂，想提高下班後的來客量。

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

腳步聲

人走路時落腳的聲音

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.

Élise 聽見黑暗教室門外傳來輕輕的腳步聲，便僵住了。

a soft footfall — one heard step in a quiet place

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

Haruto 在敲門前，先從樓梯上的腳步聲認出父親。

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.