Refers to walking quietly so as not to be heard, often by lifting the foot and placing it down carefully. Commonly used in the set phrase 抜き足差し足 (ぬきあしさしあし) meaning 'tiptoeing stealthily'.
Mixed kana-kanji spelling; sometimes used for clarity.
ぬきあしUsage15%
抜足
Variant without okurigana; less common.
Etymology
Compound of 抜き (nuki, 'pulling out, removing') + 足 (ashi, 'foot, step'), literally 'withdrawing step', referring to the action of lifting the foot quietly.
