barefoot

adverb or adjective

bare·​foot ˈber-ˌfu̇t How to pronounce barefoot (audio)
variants or barefooted
ˈber-ˈfu̇-təd How to pronounce barefoot (audio)
: with the feet bare
walked barefoot
barefoot boy, with cheek of tan—J. G. Whittier

Examples of barefoot in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Standing barefoot outside his home at 8th Street and Balboa Boulevard, holding a cup of coffee, Ross Stewart, 79, stared at the gray sky and at the berms. — Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026 Weeks after the actress went virtually barefoot at The Dog Stars premiere, Alexander Skarsgård is standing ten toes down in the Saint Laurent see-through vinyl oxfords that were universally rejected by the Internet earlier this summer. — Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Oct. 2026 Bronwyn Newport, 41, is standing barefoot outside of her unit at the Extra Space Storage facility in Millcreek, Utah, a suburb ten minutes from Salt Lake City. — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2026 Harris finished with five catches for 105 yards and emerged from the visiting team locker room barefoot with a wide smile. — CBS News, 27 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for barefoot

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of barefoot was before the 12th century

Rhymes for barefoot

See All Rhymes for barefoot

Browse Nearby Words

barefit
barefoot
barefoot auger
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Barefoot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barefoot. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

barefoot

adverb or adjective
bare·​foot -ˌfu̇t How to pronounce barefoot (audio)
variants or barefooted
-ˈfu̇t-əd How to pronounce barefoot (audio)
: with the feet bare : without shoes
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