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as in bare
lacking a usual or natural covering trees that are bald in the winter aren't the best for giving a home year-round privacy

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective bald differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of bald are bare, barren, naked, and nude. While all these words mean "deprived of naturally or conventionally appropriate covering," bald implies actual or seeming absence of natural covering and may suggest a conspicuous bareness.

a bald mountain peak

When can bare be used instead of bald?

Although the words bare and bald have much in common, bare implies the removal of what is additional, superfluous, ornamental, or dispensable.

an apartment with bare walls

Where would barren be a reasonable alternative to bald?

In some situations, the words barren and bald are roughly equivalent. However, barren often suggests aridity or impoverishment or sterility.

barren plains

When might naked be a better fit than bald?

The words naked and bald are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, naked suggests absence of protective or ornamental covering but may imply a state of nature, of destitution, or of defenselessness.

poor half-naked children

When could nude be used to replace bald?

The synonyms nude and bald are sometimes interchangeable, but nude applies especially to the unclothed human figure.

a nude model posing for art students

Examples Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of bald Wahlberg first shared footage of his bald look in a July 3, 2024, Instagram post. Angel Saunders, People.com, 4 Jan. 2025 As played by the German actor Max Schreck, the original Count Orlock — a character so indebted to Bram Stroker’s Count Dracula that the writer’s heirs sued the producers for copyright infringement and won — is bald, bug-like and distinguished by his pointy ears and claw-like hands. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 26 Dec. 2024 One bald onlooker sitting across the carriage looked on, seemingly confused by the impromptu floor salon. David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Dec. 2024 The second was on a fairly bald, open ridge minutes outside the main intersection of Stanley, offering sweeping views of the region's superlative peaks. New Atlas, 27 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for bald 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bald
Adjective
  • That buys time for firefighters to dig and bulldoze firebreaks of bare soil.
    Alec Luhn, WIRED, 10 Jan. 2025
  • The corporate landscape is so misaligned from modern needs that phenomena like quiet quitting–psychologically disengaging from work and doing the bare minimum–have become prevalent.
    True Tamplin, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • My top answer is a simple and no-brainer recommendation: Wash your hands with soap and water.
    Amanda Schupak, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2025
  • Adidas Originals Stan Smith Sneakers These iconic Stan Smith sneakers offer form and function thanks to their simple design, soft leather material (no blisters here!), and roomy fit.
    Rylee Johnston, Travel + Leisure, 12 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • There is an obvious set of two scoring lines and two shutdown lines available.
    Murat Ates, The Athletic, 17 Jan. 2025
  • Making obvious your goal of understanding is a powerful way of creating goodwill.
    Kurt Gray, TIME, 17 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • While Hostin spoke, Anderson reached over and pulled Hostin's dress up to cover the exposed garment, prompting Hostin to pause her question and smile.
    Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 10 Jan. 2025
  • Cut off pointed tip of garlic bulbs to create an exposed surface.
    Josh Miller, Southern Living, 8 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Now closer to Earth than at any time since late 2022 and until early 2027, the red planet—visible below Jupiter—looks a golden-reddish color to the naked eye.
    Jamie Carter, Forbes, 18 Jan. 2025
  • All month, four planets — Venus, Saturn, Jupiter and Mars — will appear to line up and be bright enough to see with the naked eye in the first few hours after dark, according to NASA.
    Juliana Kim, NPR, 17 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • For lovers of this unmistakable design, here’s an ode to the Tank.
    Cait Bazemore, Robb Report, 8 Jan. 2025
  • The unmistakable smell of cigar smoke hung in the air.
    Jeff Zrebiec, The Athletic, 4 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Just 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt has about 24 g of protein.
    Julie Marks, Verywell Health, 14 Jan. 2025
  • Hockey jersey: on sale for $15.65 Original price: $16.99 A plain hockey jersey, like this one from Amazon, easily fits over your padding and is great for practice or everyday wear.
    Christopher Murray, Fox News, 13 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Some of that was apparent in 2024 as cybersecurity incidents at UnitedHealth Group and Crowdstrike had unexpected and unprecedented impacts.
    Bob Zukis, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
  • Other leaders were similarly circumspect about Trump’s apparent threat to invade a fellow member of NATO.
    Astha Rajvanshi, NBC News, 9 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near bald

Cite this Entry

“Bald.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bald. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.

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