Advertisement
Google AdSense Ad PlacementConfigure your Publisher Client ID in Admin → Site Settings to activate this spot
🇵🇹Portuguese Source WordCode: PT

pisar os calcanhares de alguém

Pronunciation / Transliteration: pi-zar oz kal-ka-nya-res de al-gaym

🇬🇧 Direct English Meaning:
Step on someone's toes/stɛp ɒn ˈsʌm.wʌnz toʊz/
verb phraseCEFR B2 (Upper)Top #4500 frequency
Full Thesaurus
🇵🇹 Example Sentence in Portuguese:

"Tentei fazer meu trabalho sem pisar nos calcanhares de ninguém."

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As verb phrase
  1. 1

    To unintentionally or intentionally offend, upset, or insult someone, especially by encroaching on their territory, duties, or privileges.

    "As a new manager, I want to make sure I don't step on anyone's toes while reorganizing the department."
  2. 2

    To interfere in a matter that is someone else's responsibility or domain.

    "Please stick to your own assignment and try not to step on the design team's toes."

Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from the literal physical action of accidentally stepping on someone's foot during close-quarters movement or dancing. By the late 19th century, the phrase evolved metaphorically in English to describe intruding upon another person's area of responsibility, authority, or sensitivity.

Quick Vocabulary Retention Check

Which of the following is the closest synonym for "Step on someone's toes"?

Advertisement
Google AdSense Ad PlacementConfigure your Publisher Client ID in Admin → Site Settings to activate this spot

10 Global Lexicons: How "Step on someone's toes" is said worldwide

Click any language below to open its dedicated Language to English dictionary page with native script & transliteration

🇫🇷French → English

marcher sur les pieds de quelqu'un

Transliteration: mar-shay syoor lay pyay duh kel-kahn

"Je ne veux pas marcher sur les pieds de mes collègues avec ce projet."

🇩🇪German → English

jemandem auf die Füße treten

Transliteration: ye-man-dem ouf dee fyoo-suh tre-ten

"Ich möchte niemandem auf die Füße treten, aber diese Entscheidung ist notwendig."

🇮🇹Italian → English

pestare i piedi a qualcuno

Transliteration: pes-ta-re ee pye-di a kwal-ku-no

"Sto attento a non pestare i piedi a nessuno nel nuovo ufficio."

🇪🇸Spanish → English

pisar los callos a alguien

Transliteration: pi-sar los ka-yos a al-gyen

"El nuevo director prefiere no pisar los callos al personal antiguo."

🇵🇹Portuguese → English

pisar os calcanhares de alguém

Transliteration: pi-zar oz kal-ka-nya-res de al-gaym

"Tentei fazer meu trabalho sem pisar nos calcanhares de ninguém."

🇮🇳Hindi → English

किसी के काम में टांग अड़ाना

Transliteration: kisi ke kaam mein taang adaana

"मैं किसी के काम में टांग नहीं अड़ाना चाहता।"

🇨🇳Chinese → English

惹恼

Transliteration: rě nǎo

"我不小心越权了,惹恼了几位资深同事。"

🇰🇷Korean → English

비위를 밟다

Transliteration: bi-wi-reul bap-da

"상사의 비위를 밟지 않도록 조심해야 합니다."

🇯🇵Japanese → English

人の機嫌を損ねる

Transliteration: hito no kigen o sonneru

"同僚の領域に踏み込んで人の機嫌を損ねないようにしてください。"

Thesaurus & Synonyms Graph

Explore Nuanced Synonyms for "Step on someone's toes"

Discover exact matches, context-specific alternatives, and antonyms with intensity ratings in the VocabDictionary Thesaurus.

View "Step on someone's toes" Synonym Map
Advertisement
Google AdSense Ad PlacementConfigure your Publisher Client ID in Admin → Site Settings to activate this spot