barefoot

/'beə'futid/

Thân thiện

The boy ran barefoot across the soft grass.

Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Without shoes or other footwear on the feet: Describes a person, animal, or action performed with the feet uncovered.
   • Characterized by being unshod: Often implies a natural, simple, or informal state.

2. Adverb:

   • In a manner without shoes: Describes the way an action is performed, specifically with the feet bare.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • The barefoot child ran across the warm sand.
  • She prefers a barefoot lifestyle at home.
• Adverb:
  • He walked barefoot through the cool grass.
  • They danced barefoot on the wooden floor.

Advanced Usage

• "Barefoot and pregnant": An idiom, often considered dated and offensive, historically used to describe a stereotypical role of a woman confined to domestic life.

  • The archaic notion of keeping women barefoot and pregnant is widely rejected today.

• "Barefoot doctor": A historical term for village healthcare workers in mid-20th century China who provided basic medical services, often without formal training or resources.

  • The barefoot doctors played a crucial role in rural healthcare.

Variants and Related Words

• Barefooted (adj/adv): An alternative form with the same meaning as 'barefoot'.
  • The barefooted monk walked silently.

Synonyms

• Unshod: (adj) Not wearing shoes; a more formal synonym.
• Shoeless: (adj) Without shoes; a direct synonym.

Related Phrases

• To go barefoot: To choose not to wear shoes.
  • In summer, I love to go barefoot in the garden.

Idioms

• As tenderfooted as a barefoot boy on a hot griddle: An exaggerated simile describing extreme sensitivity or discomfort (regional/folksy).
  • After his first hike, he was as tenderfooted as a barefoot boy on a hot griddle.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. without shoes
   • the barefoot boy
   • shoeless Joe Jackson

Adverb

1. without shoes on
   • he chased her barefoot across the meadow

Từ đồng nghĩa

• barefooted
• shoeless