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

Scores of bare-chested flagellants with covered faces walked barefoot through the dusty streets of Pampanga province's San Fernando as they flogged their backs with bamboo whips in scorching heat.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

Courtney rips the IV from her arm and escapes, barefoot and in a hospital gown.

From Salon • Mar. 24, 2026

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

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2026

The company made other suggestions, including letting Leo walk around barefoot, pet neighbors’ dogs and play in the dirt.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026

Some believed silver-haired yumboes from the depths of the Greater Jungle had spirited the old man away and still danced with him barefoot by moonlight.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray