instep

I1N1S1T1E1P3
US/ˈɪnˌstɛp/

noun

The arched part of the top of the foot between the toes and the ankle.

“high instep”

Less commonScrabble 8
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Meanings

nouninstep (plural insteps)

plural insteps

  1. anatomyThe arched part of the top of the foot between the toes and the ankle.

    high instep

    4 more examples

    arched instep

    injured instep

    The boot pressed uncomfortably against his instep.

    She kicked the ball with the inside of her instep.

  2. A section of any footwear covering that part of the foot.
  3. In horses, the hind leg from the ham to the pastern joint.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
metatarsus

Origin

From in- + step.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan empenya
  • empenyatop of the foot between the toes and the ankle
Czech nárt
  • nárttop of the foot between the toes and the ankle
Dutch wreef
  • wreeftop of the foot between the toes and the ankle
Esperanto instepo
  • instepotop of the foot between the toes and the ankle
Estonian pöid
  • pöidtop of the foot between the toes and the ankle
Finnish jalkapöytä
  • jalkapöytätop of the foot between the toes and the ankle
French cou-de-pied
  • cou-de-piedtop of the foot between the toes and the ankle
German [1] Spann, Fußrücken
  • [1] Spanntop of the foot between the toes and the ankle
  • Fußrückentop of the foot between the toes and the ankle
  • Risttop of the foot between the toes and the ankle
  • Fußspanntop of the foot between the toes and the ankle
Greek κουντεπιέ
  • κουντεπιέ (kountepié)top of the foot between the toes and the ankle
Hungarian rüszt
  • rüszttop of the foot between the toes and the ankle
Icelandic rist
  • risttop of the foot between the toes and the ankle
Irish trácht
  • tráchttop of the foot between the toes and the ankle
Italian collo del piede
  • collo del piedetop of the foot between the toes and the ankle
Japanese 足の甲
  • 足の甲 (ashi no kō)top of the foot between the toes and the ankle
Korean 발등
  • 발등 (baldeung)top of the foot between the toes and the ankle
Latin metatarsus
  • metatarsustop of the foot between the toes and the ankle
Māori kapu
  • kaputop of the foot between the toes and the ankle
Norwegian Bokmål vrist
  • vristtop of the foot between the toes and the ankle
Polish podbicie
  • podbicietop of the foot between the toes and the ankle
Portuguese peito do pé
  • peito do pétop of the foot between the toes and the ankle
Russian подъём
  • подъём (podʺjóm)top of the foot between the toes and the ankle
Slovak priehlavok
  • priehlavoktop of the foot between the toes and the ankle
Spanish empeine
  • empeinetop of the foot between the toes and the ankle
Ukrainian підйо́м
  • підйо́м (pidjóm)top of the foot between the toes and the ankle
Vietnamese mu bàn chân
  • mu bàn chântop of the foot between the toes and the ankle
Welsh cefn troed
  • cefn troedtop of the foot between the toes and the ankle

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

spinetseptinnepist
Cite this entry
APA

instep. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/instep

MLA

“instep.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/instep. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “instep,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/instep.

Source: instep on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.