nude

1 of 2

adjective

ˈnüd 

ˈnyüd

nuder; nudest

1

: lacking something essential especially to legal validity

a nude contract

2

a

: devoid of a natural or conventional covering

especially : not covered by clothing or a drape

b(1)

: having a color that matches the wearer's skin tones

nude pantyhose

nude lipstick

(2)

: giving the appearance of nudity

a nude dress

c

: featuring nudes

a nude movie

d

: frequented by naked people

a nude beach

nude adverb

nudely adverb

nudeness noun

nudity

ˈnü-də-tē 

ˈnyü-

noun

nude

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: a representation of a nude human figure

b

: a nude person

2

: the condition of being nude

in the nude

Synonyms

Adjective

• au naturel
• bare
• bottomless
• disrobed
• mother-naked
• naked
• raw
• starkers [chiefly British]
• stripped
• unclad
• unclothed
• undressed

Noun

• altogether
• bareness
• birthday suit
• bottomlessness
• buff
• nakedness
• nudity
• raw

Choose the Right Synonym for nude

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 nude in a Sentence

Adjective

The artists sketched the nude model.

Picasso's paintings of nude art models.

Noun

the nudes of Greek sculpture

the artist painted some models in the nude

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Chanel nail artist Betina R. Goldstein uses a pearlescent powder to give nude nails a shimmery iridescent shine before placing real freshwater pearls all over. —Audrey Noble, Vogue, 19 Dec. 2024

What’s more fun than being able to flip through a large-scale binder of nude black-and-white photos (courtesy Susan Singer)? —Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 19 Dec. 2024

Noun

In The Nude Going on the complete opposite end of the spectrum is the beloved nudes. —Celeste Polanco, Essence, 18 Dec. 2024

However, the hypoallergenic scent can be worn on its own—after all, brand founder Rosie Jane Johnson designed the oil to channel sleeping in the nude. —Jenny Berg, Vogue, 16 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin nudus naked — more at naked

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1708, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing nude

• in the nude

Kids Definition

nude

1 of 2 adjective

ˈn(y)üd 

nuder; nudest

: having no clothes on

nudeness noun

nude

2 of 2 noun

1

: a nude human figure especially as shown in art

2

: the condition of being nude

in the nude