Meanings
plural stepping stones · alternative stepping-stone · alternative steppingstone
- A stone that can be stepped on in crossing something, especially a marsh or creek.
Falling—her veriest stepping-stone Shall form the pedestal of a throne— […]
1829, Edgar Allan Poe, “Tamerlane”, in Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane and Minor Poems1 more example
Pretty stone cottages overlook the river's northern bank, and a short footpath 200 yds beyond the post office leads to stepping-stones.
1980, AA Book of British Villages, Drive Publications Ltd, page 171, about Egton Bridge - idiomaticSomething used as a way to progress to something or somewhere else.
Esperanto can make a good stepping stone language to Latin, which may be difficult for amateur linguists.
3 more examples
He was full of ambition, and force, and life, intending all sorts of great things, and meaning to make his position a stepping stone to all that was excellent in public life.
I held it truth, with him who sings To one clear harp in divers tones, That men may rise on stepping-stones Of their dead selves to higher things.
1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto I”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLCIt has already been shown that the Manchester South Junction & Altrincham (itself the joint property of the London & North Western and the Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railways) served as a stepping stone by which the M.S.L.R. and G.N.R. extended their services from Manchester to Liverpool, […].
1957 November 28, M. D. Greville and G. O. Holt, “Railway Development in Manchester—3”, in Railway Magazine, page 764
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
First attested circa 1325; first used in the figurative sense circa 1653.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian основопола́гащ ка́мък
- основопола́гащ ка́мък (osnovopolágašt kámăk)stone used to cross something
Chinese Mandarin 墊腳石 /垫脚石, 墊腳石 /垫脚石
- 墊腳石 /垫脚石 (diànjiǎoshí)something used as a way to progress
- 墊腳石 /垫脚石 (diànjiǎoshí)stone used to cross something
Danish springbræt, trædesten
- springbrætsomething used as a way to progress
- trædestensomething used as a way to progress
- trædestenstone used to cross something
Esperanto travadoŝtono, travadoŝtono
- travadoŝtonosomething used as a way to progress
- travadoŝtonostone used to cross something
Finnish ponnahduslauta, astinlauta
- ponnahduslautasomething used as a way to progress
- astinlautasomething used as a way to progress
- askelkivistone used to cross something
French marchepied, tremplin
- marchepiedsomething used as a way to progress
- tremplinsomething used as a way to progress
- paliersomething used as a way to progress
- see pas japonais and guéstone used to cross something
German Sprungbrett, Trittstein
- Sprungbrettsomething used as a way to progress
- Trittsteinstone used to cross something
Hebrew מַקְפֵּצָה
- מַקְפֵּצָה (maqpetzá)something used as a way to progress
Hungarian ugródeszka
- ugródeszkasomething used as a way to progress
Icelandic stökkpallur, stiklur
- stökkpallursomething used as a way to progress
- stiklurstone used to cross something
Indonesian batu loncatan, batu loncatan
- batu loncatansomething used as a way to progress
- batu loncatanstone used to cross something
Italian viatico, trampolino di lancio
- viaticosomething used as a way to progress
- trampolino di lanciosomething used as a way to progress
- trampolinosomething used as a way to progress
- sassetostone used to cross something
- selciaiastone used to cross something
- acciottolatostone used to cross something
Japanese 飛び石
- 飛び石 (tobiishi)stone used to cross something
Polish kamień milowy, kamień do przechodzenia
- kamień milowysomething used as a way to progress
- kamień do przechodzeniastone used to cross something
Portuguese trampolim, poldra
- trampolimsomething used as a way to progress
- poldrastone used to cross something
- pondrastone used to cross something
- alpondrastone used to cross something
Russian ступе́нька, трампли́н
- ступе́нька (stupénʹka)something used as a way to progress
- трампли́н (tramplín)something used as a way to progress
- ста́ртовая площа́дка (stártovaja ploščádka)something used as a way to progress
- плацда́рм (placdárm)something used as a way to progress
- ка́мень, поло́женный для перехо́да (kámenʹ, polóžennyj dlja perexóda)stone used to cross something
- ка́мень-присту́пка (kámenʹ-pristúpka)stone used to cross something
Scottish Gaelic clacharan
- clacharanstone used to cross something
Spanish trampolín
- trampolínsomething used as a way to progress
Swedish språngbräda
- språngbrädasomething used as a way to progress
Tagalog batong-tuntungan
- batong-tuntungansomething used as a way to progress
Cite this entry
stepping stone. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stepping%20stone
“stepping stone.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stepping%20stone. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “stepping stone,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stepping%20stone.
Source: stepping stone on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.