tiptoe

Creep past quietly

Tiptoe is the tips of the toes, or the posture of standing on them: She stood on tiptoe to see over the crowd.

To tiptoe is to walk quietly on the balls of the feet, minimizing sound: He tiptoed past the sleeping baby.

Figuratively, to tiptoe around something is to approach it cautiously or avoid addressing it directly: They tiptoed around the subject of money.

stealth

creep

Stealthy, slow movement

sneakMove with stealth
prowlRoam stealthily
furtiveSecretive and sly

surreptitious · covert · clandestine · secretive · infiltrate · slink · skulk · stealthy · undetected · silent

gait

creep

Stealthy, slow movement

inchTwelfth of a foot
patterQuick rehearsed speech
minceCut into fragments

prance · scurry · scamper · skitter · shuffle · glide · saunter · amble · tread · step

quiet

silence

Total lack of sound

hushAbsence of sound
whisperSpeech without full voice
softYielding to touch

inaudible · soundless · still · noiseless · tranquil · serene · peaceful · calm · subdued · murmur

ballet

pointe

Ballet's tiptoe technique

relevéRising onto ball-of-foot
demi-pointeElevated heel, flat toes
pirouetteBallet turn on one foot

arabesque · plié · ballerina · barre · dancer · graceful · elegant · extend · stretch · rise

balance

poise

Graceful, unshakable calm

steadinessState of being constant
equilibriumState of balance
stabilityResistance to displacement

coordination · agility · gracefulness · control · precision · finesse · dexterity · wobble · teeter · totter

elevation

raised

Lifted higher up

liftedRaised upward
heightenedIncreased in degree
elevatedRaised above usual level

upward · rise · stretch · reach · extend · tall · arched · on-edge · crane · peer

Categories

body positionslying down, flat, upright, standing, sitting
sneak pastcreep, slink, slip by
soft soundswhisper, murmur, hum, rustle, sigh
walkswalk, walks, stroll, strolls, amble
foot positionsfirst position, second position, fifth position, en pointe, demi-pointe
movementwalk, move, go, run, jump

Opposites

sound/stealth

tiptoestomp

Tread heavily

stamp · clomp · tramp · tromp · flatfoot

foot placement/gait

Slang term for policeman

stomp · plod · trudge · lumber · clomp

speed/caution

tiptoerun

Move swiftly on foot

sprint · dash · rush · charge · race

Phrases

on tiptoeWalking on ball-feet
tiptoe aroundAvoid addressing directly
tiptoeing aroundAvoiding direct engagement carefully
tiptoed aroundAvoided confronting directly

Family

tiptoed, tiptop, tiptoes, tiptoeing

Familiarity: Top 10,000
Profile: Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G