English Reference
Adjective

afoot

adj.
C1 Advanced US /əˈfʊt/ UK /ɐfˈʊt/ afoot

adj.happening or being planned right now. You use it to describe a situation that is already in progress or about to start.

adj.occurring or being planned at the present time. Often used in the phrase 'in the works' or 'in the offing'.


SIMPLE

There are some big changes afoot at the office.

CONTEXTUAL

I heard that a new merger is afoot, but no official announcement has been made yet.

COMPLEX

While the official launch date remains a secret, several industry insiders suggest that a significant restructuring is afoot to streamline the company's global operations.

It turns out that even stranger things are afoot: the car’s gas dial hasn’t moved, and they oddly aren’t craving any of their normal bodily needs.

The Guardian· 20 Aug 2026

From a- + foot.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Occasional
Updated