tiptoe
gb/tˈɪptoʊ/ us/tˈɪptoʊ/
B1
English
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B1
action
1
walk quietly on your toes
to walk very quietly on your toes
Usage pattern:
tiptoe (into/along/past/out of) [place]; tiptoe to [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners often say *walk on tiptoe* but forget that the verb *tiptoe* can be used directly (e.g., “She tiptoed in.”).
Synonyms
creep (Often suggests secrecy or fear, not just quiet movement.)
|
sneak (Suggests trying not to be seen as well as not heard.)
|
pad (Emphasizes soft footsteps rather than being on your toes.)
Antonyms
stomp (Move with loud, heavy steps.)
|
march (Walk firmly and loudly in a deliberate way.)
Collocations
tiptoe quietly
|tiptoe into the room
|tiptoe out of the house
|tiptoe upstairs
|tiptoe past someone
|tiptoe across the floor
|tiptoe to the door
|tiptoe in
|tiptoe out
|tiptoe around the house
Themes
daily_life
|movement
|home_life
Examples
- I tiptoed into the nursery so I wouldn’t wake the baby.
- She tiptoed past his desk while he was on a call.
- We tiptoed out of the apartment before sunrise.
Learner examples
- He tiptoed into the room.
- Please tiptoe—everyone is sleeping.
Noun
B2
state
2
standing on the tips of toes
a position where you stand on your toes with your heels up
Usage pattern:
on tiptoe; on [someone's] tiptoes; rise onto tiptoe
Common mistake:
Learners may treat *tiptoe* as always plural; in the set phrase it is usually “on tiptoe” or “on (your) tiptoes.”
Synonyms
toe stand (Less common; describes the same posture in simple terms.)
|
toe-walking (More technical; often used for a habitual way of walking.)
Antonyms
flat-footed stance (Heels down; not raised onto the toes.)
Collocations
on tiptoe
|on her tiptoes
|rise onto tiptoe
|stand on tiptoe
|walk on tiptoe
|go on tiptoe
|balanced on tiptoe
Themes
daily_life
|movement
Examples
- He rose onto tiptoe to reach the top shelf.
- The child stood on tiptoe to see over the counter.
- She crossed the hallway on tiptoe to keep the floorboards from creaking.
Learner examples
- I stood on tiptoe to reach the book.
- She walked on tiptoe.
Grammar
Dictionary form
tiptoe
IPA
GB/tˈɪptoʊ/
US/tˈɪptoʊ/
Syllables & stress
tip - toe (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (tip)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: tiptoe
- Plural: tiptoe, tiptoes
Verb
- Base: tiptoe
- 3rd Person Singular: tiptoes
- Present Participle: tiptoeing
- Past: tiptoed
Expressions
keep [someone] on tiptoe
1/kˈip sˈʌmwˌʌn ˈɔn tˈɪptoʊ/
idiom
keep someone alert and excited
to keep someone excited or nervous by not telling them what will happen
Examples
- The thriller keeps you on tiptoe until the final scene.
- Her sudden changes of plan kept everyone on tiptoe.
- The coach’s unexpected decisions kept the players on tiptoe.
tiptoe around [something]
1/tˈɪptoʊ ɚˈaʊnd sˈʌmθɪŋ/
phrasal verb
avoid something directly
to not talk about something directly because it is difficult or sensitive
Examples
- Stop tiptoeing around the issue and tell me what happened.
- The team tiptoed around budget cuts in the meeting.
- He kept tiptoeing around the question instead of answering it.