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

See Examples For:

barefoot

This is the supposedly pristine island that Ivanka had hiked up barefoot.

From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2026

So what about the trend for wearing minimalist barefoot shoes?

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

Billy Smith—his hair loose, wearing a dress, and barefoot after discarding his low-heel pumps—danced the woman invoked in the song.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

Perhaps it’s impractical to do full-body action shots of barefoot people scampering around a rustic deck.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026

She could tell how wonderful and interesting they thought she was, all muddy and barefoot, and now she really knew they hadn’t meant to worry her.

From "Miracles on Maple Hill" by Virginia Sorensen