barefoot

American  

[bair-foot] / ˈbɛərˌfʊt /

adjective

1. Also barefooted. with the feet bare.

   a barefoot boy;

   to walk barefoot.

2. Carpentry. (of a post or stud) secured to a sill or the like without mortising.

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barefoot British  

/ ˈbɛəˌfʊt /

adjective

1. with the feet uncovered

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Etymology

Origin of barefoot

before 1000; Middle English barfot, Old English bærfōt. See bare ¹, foot

Explanation

When you're barefoot, you're not wearing any shoes or socks. It might feel good to walk barefoot on a sandy beach on a warm day, but just don't try entering a restaurant barefoot. Some kids might spend the whole summer barefoot, walking down sidewalks with their sneakers in their hands, and if you're a lifeguard or a professional gymnast, you get to be barefoot at work. The Old English root of barefoot is bærfot, combining bær, "naked" or "uncovered," with fot, "foot."

Example Sentences

"I was in a wedding dress and I was running barefoot through the puddles," says Iryna.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

Avoid walking on the trail barefoot or in open-toed shoes.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2026

Many people in our troubled country are apparently so eager for peace that they’ll join barefoot monks in colorful robes in walking halfway across the continent.

From Salon • Feb. 13, 2026

Devotees bearing offerings such as milk pots or carrying elaborate and heavy metal frames called "kavadis" walked barefoot up 272 steps to reach the temple.

From Barron's • Feb. 1, 2026

I say, bounding onto the porch barefoot like a kicked puppy hoping for a head scratch.

From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone