stamp on and step on

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dilodi83

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My question is: Are these two verbs, to stamp on and to step on similar in their meanings in sentences like the ones below?

1) There was a huge spider in the washroom and the boss just stamped on it and that was the end of the spider!
2) I saw a dreadful spider in the kitchen and all of a sudden my father walked in and stepped on it.

Now, Do they express the same action or in the first one "to stamp on" means that somebody put his foot on it intensionally because he wanted to knock it off, whereas in the second sentence "to step on" means that someone put his foot on the spider accidentaly and he killed it by chance, without having planned on doing it?

If there are any differences between the two verbs, can you explain them to me?
Thank you very much.
 

SoothingDave

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"Stamp" would be more forceful. To step on something is to put one's normal weight, as if walking. To stamp or stomp is to forcibly come down on something.

One could accidentally step on something or do it deliberately. Stamping is usually intentional.
 

Amigos4

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"Stamp" would be more forceful. To step on something is to put one's normal weight, as if walking. To stamp or stomp is to forcibly come down on something.

One could accidentally step on something or do it deliberately. Stamping is usually intentional.
Common usage in AmE is to 'stomp' on spiders.
"...the boss just stamped on it" doesn't sound natural to me.
 

emsr2d2

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Common usage in AmE is to 'stomp' on spiders.
"...the boss just stamped on it" doesn't sound natural to me.

In BrE, it's fine. Toddlers stamp their feet when they are having a tantrum. I would say that it involves standing in one place but banging your feet on the ground. I would, however, say that some people stomp around when they are in a bad mood. That suggests intentionally heavy footsteps while moving around, not standing in one place.
 

BobK

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In BrE, it's fine. Toddlers stamp their feet when they are having a tantrum. ....

:up: Also, to imply that a more mature person is behaving like a toddler, they 'stamp their little foot': 'When they tried to discuss her evening, she just stamped her little foot and put her fingers in her ears, saying "La-La-La-Not-Listening"'.

b
 

BobK

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In BrE, it's fine. Toddlers stamp their feet when they are having a tantrum. ....

:up: Also, to imply that a more mature person is behaving like a toddler, they 'stamp their little foot': 'When they tried to discuss her evening, she just stamped her little foot and put her fingers in her ears, saying "La-La-La-Not-Listening"'.

b
 

Amigos4

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:up: Also, to imply that a more mature person is behaving like a toddler, they 'stamp their little foot': 'When they tried to discuss her evening, she just stamped her little foot and put her fingers in her ears, saying "La-La-La-Not-Listening"'.

b
Real men don't 'stamp'!!!!! :cool:
 
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