bootless
UK: ˈbuːtləs | US: ˈbuːtləs
adj. 1. Without boots; unshod.
adj. 2. (Archaic) Useless; unavailing; producing no benefit.
The word "bootless" combines "boot" (from Old English "bōt," meaning "advantage" or "remedy," later associated with footwear) and the suffix "-less" (Old English "-lēas," meaning "without"). Originally, it meant "without advantage" or "useless," reflecting its Old English root. Over time, the literal sense of "without boots" emerged, but the archaic meaning of "futile" remains notable in literary contexts.
The knight rode bootless through the muddy battlefield.
His bootless attempts to convince them only wasted time.
She wandered bootless in the snow, her feet numb with cold.
All their bootless arguments led to no resolution.
The bootless quest left them exhausted and disillusioned.