barefoot

American

[bair-foot] / ˈbɛərˌfʊt /

adjective

Also barefooted. with the feet bare.

a barefoot boy;
to walk barefoot.
Carpentry. (of a post or stud) secured to a sill or the like without mortising.

barefoot British

/ ˈbɛəˌfʊt /

adjective

with the feet uncovered

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of barefoot

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

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

He was not used to going barefoot and he would doubtless have a long hike ahead of him, once he reached land.

From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023