What does afoot mean?
"Afoot" describes something that is in progress, underway, or being secretly planned. It functions almost exclusively as a predicative adjective or adverb, appearing after verbs like "be" or "seem": "changes are afoot," "suspicion was afoot." The word carries a distinctly literary and slightly suspenseful connotation — it suggests that events are stirring beneath the surface, which is why it flourishes in detective fiction, political journalism, and drama. Its most famous appearance comes from Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories, where "the game is afoot" signals the start of a new case, echoing a line from Shakespeare's Henry V. A second, older sense uses "afoot" as an adverb meaning simply "on foot" — traveling by walking — though this usage has largely fallen out of everyday speech. Compact, evocative, and instantly recognizable, "afoot" remains a go-to choice when a writer wants to signal that something significant is quietly beginning.
In operation or progress; happening or being planned, often with an implication of secrecy or importance.
"There were whispers that a coup was afoot within the party leadership."
Used predicatively only — it follows a verb such as "be" or "remain" and cannot directly modify a noun.
On foot; by walking rather than riding or driving.
"The pilgrims went afoot along the ancient road to Canterbury."
This sense is archaic or regional in modern English.
When Sherlock Holmes says "the game is afoot," he's borrowing a phrase Shakespeare put into Henry V's mouth before battle — making it one of literature's most famous recycled lines.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of afoot
"Afoot" derives from the Old English prepositional prefix "a-" (meaning "on" or "in") combined with "foot," giving the literal sense of "on foot." It appears in English from at least the medieval period, originally used adverbially to describe traveling by walking. Over time the phrase evolved metaphorically: if plans or schemes were "on foot," they were moving forward, and by the early modern period this figurative sense — something underway or in progress — had become dominant. It belongs to a family of "a-" prefixed formations such as "abed," "ashore," and "afloat," all built on the pattern of placing something "on" or "in" a state or location.
How afoot is actually used
Almost always used after the verb "to be" rather than attributively — you say "something is afoot," never "an afoot plan." It carries a slightly dramatic or literary flavor, often hinting that events are unfolding behind the scenes. The adverbial sense (traveling on foot) is now largely archaic or dialectal.
Easily confused with afoot
"Afloat" means floating on water (not sinking), while "afoot" means something is happening or underway — they look and sound similar but share nothing in meaning.