bald

1 of 2

adjective

ˈbȯld 

1

a

: lacking a natural or usual covering (as of hair, vegetation, or nap)

his bald head

Both men were bald.

a bald hill

bald trees

The rug was bald with wear.

b

: having little or no tread

bald tires

2

: marked with white

a horse with a bald face

3

: lacking adornment or amplification

a bald assertion

4

: undisguised, palpable

bald arrogance

baldish

ˈbȯl-dish 

adjective

baldly

ˈbȯl(d)-lē 

adverb

baldness

ˈbȯl(d)-nəs 

noun

bald

2 of 2

verb

balded; balding; balds

transitive verb

: to make bald

intransitive verb

: to become bald

balding with age

Synonyms

Adjective

• bare
• denuded
• exposed
• naked
• open
• peeled
• stripped
• uncovered

Choose the Right Synonym for bald

bare, naked, nude, bald, barren mean deprived of naturally or conventionally appropriate covering.

bare implies the removal of what is additional, superfluous, ornamental, or dispensable.

an apartment with bare walls

naked suggests absence of protective or ornamental covering but may imply a state of nature, of destitution, or of defenselessness.

poor half-naked children

nude applies especially to the unclothed human figure.

a nude model posing for art students

bald implies actual or seeming absence of natural covering and may suggest a conspicuous bareness.

a bald mountain peak

barren often suggests aridity or impoverishment or sterility.

barren plains

Examples of bald in a Sentence

Adjective

All of his uncles are completely bald.

He had gone completely bald by the age of 30.

He covered his bald head with a baseball cap.

There's a bald spot on the top of his head.

There are bald patches in the cat's fur.

an old car with bald tires

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Legend has it that at Denver's George Washington High School, the ghost of a bald, elderly man haunts the football field. —Alayna Alvarez, Axios, 27 Oct. 2024

So Austin worked it out and wore a bald cap for the sake of Jeff and his movie. —Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Oct. 2024

Verb

In Oregon, Portland Police Agency spokesperson Mike Benner said the suspect is believed to be a white male 30 to 40 years old with short hair or balding, a thin-to-medium build and thin face. —Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY, 2 Nov. 2024

Authorities described the suspect as a white man, age 30 to 40, who is balding or has very short hair. —Claire Rush, Chicago Tribune, 31 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English balled; probably akin to Danish dialect bældet bald, Latin fulica coot, Greek phalios having a white spot, Old English bǣl fire, pyre

Verb

derivative of bald entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1602, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Phrases Containing bald

• bald cypress
• bald eagle
• bald-faced
• bald-faced hornet
• go bald

Kids Definition

bald

1 of 2 adjective

ˈbȯld 

1

: lacking a natural or usual covering (as of hair)

2

: plain entry 2 sense 1, unadorned

the bald facts

baldly adverb

baldness

ˈbȯl(d)-nəs 

noun

bald

2 of 2 verb

: to become bald

his head is balding

Medical Definition

bald

adjective

ˈbȯld 

: lacking all or a significant part of the hair on the head or sometimes on other parts of the body

bald intransitive verb