Phrasal verb
step on
Irregular verb
Forms
Infinitive
step on
Past
stepped on
Past participle
stepped on
In Japanese
Japanese from JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences from Tatoeba, CC BY 2.0 FR. All sources.
Definition
phrasal verb. to place your foot on top of something or someone.
phrasal verb. to place one's foot on a surface or object, often unintentionally. Transitive and inseparable; the object must follow the particle.
Examples
“Be careful not to step on the broken glass.”
“He accidentally stepped on his cat's tail in the dark and felt terrible about it.”
“The hikers were warned not to step on the fragile alpine flowers that grew along the edge of the narrow mountain path.”
Examples
simple
“Be careful not to step on the broken glass.”
contextual
“He accidentally stepped on his cat's tail in the dark and felt terrible about it.”
complex
“The hikers were warned not to step on the fragile alpine flowers that grew along the edge of the narrow mountain path.”
Usage
usually followed by a noun representing a surface or a physical object.
Teaching tip
contrast with the figurative 'step on it' (meaning to hurry or accelerate) to show how a literal phrasal verb can become an idiom with the addition of a fixed pronoun.
Pitfall
I stepped the spider on.
I stepped on the spider.
this phrasal verb is inseparable; the object cannot come between the verb and the preposition.
Phrasal verb
Particles
on
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
step + on + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549EikenEikenTest in Practical English ProficiencyThe English proficiency test from the Eiken Foundation of Japan, widely taken by Japanese students. Grades run from 5 to 1, with Pre-1 and Pre-2 between them.Pre-2
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- A2 · Elementary
- Updated
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