barefoot

Everyday

Barefoot means not wearing any shoes or socks on your feet. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life, children walk barefoot on the beach, on grass or at home. In safety lessons, going barefoot outside can mean cuts from glass, stings from bees in clover, burns from hot sand or pavement, and in some places hookworm or snake danger, so wear shoes in parks and playgrounds. In PE, gymnastics and yoga are often done barefoot. In history and stories, poor children often went barefoot.

Examples

• We ran barefoot on the beach. tree →
• Don't walk barefoot where there might be broken glass. tree →
• She does gymnastics barefoot. tree →
• The sand was too hot to walk on barefoot. tree →
• In the story, the poor boy was barefoot in the snow. tree →
• I stepped on a bee when I was barefoot in the garden. tree →
• Many children go barefoot at home. tree →
• He walked barefoot across the cool grass. tree →
• "I'd rather walk barefoot than drive with him in a coach!" tree →

Note

It is both an adjective (a barefoot boy) and an adverb (walk barefoot); no -ly. «Barefooted» also exists but «barefoot» is more common. Safety: in Australia and New Zealand, many children go barefoot, but hot surfaces and sharp things can hurt.

In Jewish tradition

Walking barefoot was a sign of grief, shame or captivity. Isaiah goes barefoot and without his outer clothes to act out a warning about Egypt and Ethiopia.

Interpretation. Tradition reads Isaiah's walk as a prophet's living sign. It teaches that people who trust in powerful nations instead of God will end up in shame.

Examples

• And the LORD said: 'Like as My servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot to be for three years a sign and a wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia, (Prophets ISA.20.3, JPS 1917) tree →
• so shall the king of Assyria lead away the captives of Egypt, and the exiles of Ethiopia, young and old, naked and barefoot, and with buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt. (Prophets ISA.20.4, JPS 1917) tree →
• at that time the LORD spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying: 'Go, and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put thy shoe from off thy foot.' And he did so, walking naked and barefoot. (Prophets ISA.20.2, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

It is both an adjective (a barefoot boy) and an adverb (walk barefoot); no -ly. «Barefooted» also exists but «barefoot» is more common. Safety: in Australia and New Zealand, many children go barefoot, but hot surfaces and sharp things can hurt.