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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

Example 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 Law enforcement are still looking for a bald, white man, who is around 5 feet, 10 inches tall and has blue eyes, according to the news release. Carolyn Komatsoulis, Idaho Statesman, 1 Mar. 2025 The autoimmune condition alopecia, for example, can cause hair to turn white or gray, before ultimately leading to bald patches. Angela Haupt, TIME, 24 Feb. 2025 The collection featured a bald Vance, Vance with long curly hair, Vance as a child with a lollipop and Vance's face slimmed down to look more angular, a meme treatment commonly referred to as 'Yassification,' where a person is edited to look more attractive, or feminine. Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025 Jean-François—a bald, fifty-five-year-old Québécois in a slim-fitting black T-shirt and Coke-bottle glasses—was perched imposingly above it all, looking not unlike a futuristic aviator piloting a giant, cybernetic wasp. Matthew Sherrill, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bald
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bald
Adjective
  • But more often than not, my efforts (or lack thereof) result in clumps of plants in some areas, and bare sections in others.
    Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 23 Mar. 2025
  • Sour, bare chested and wearing only peachy shalwar pants and a garnet string around his neck, is soon joined by an ensemble of five women, traditionally dressed for the classical Indian dance form Bharatanatyam.
    Lauren Warnecke, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Pair them with a simple T-shirt to grab a coffee at a cafe.
    Rylee Johnston, Travel + Leisure, 23 Mar. 2025
  • Jenner wore a gray and lightly checked car coat, a simple black knit sweater, straight leg blue jeans, and black ballet flats.
    Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Porsha’s very obvious absence.m As the party moves outside for the big surprise, Shamea gets the ultimate birthday flex—a Rolls-Royce Cullinan.
    Shelby Stewart, Essence, 18 Mar. 2025
  • The impetus behind the spending boost—hundreds of billions of dollars in two separate packages—is obvious.
    David Axe, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Yes, but: There are ways to remain exposed, if somewhat more indirectly.
    Brady Dale, Axios, 7 Mar. 2025
  • By placing the host in an exposed, elevated position, the fungus maximizes its chances of dispersing spores effectively.
    Scott Travers, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • But when women are naked, Margaret Qualley as well, in The Substance, nobody would dream of talking to her about her genitalia or her nipples or any of those things.
    Carly Thomas, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Mar. 2025
  • In the yard the stone statues of two naked cherubs hug, an orange tree is laden with fruit and the flame red hibiscus and poinsettia are in full bloom.
    Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 17 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • In an age of standardized luxury, the resort stands apart – a testament to the power of family, the beauty of authentic hospitality and the unmistakable excellence that comes from a deep love of place and people.
    Melissa Noel, Essence, 21 Mar. 2025
  • Broadcast’s reach advantage is north of 20 million homes; toss a rage-bait draw like the Blue Devils into the mix and last year’s results are going to take on the unmistakable contours of a fluke.
    Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • However, plain baking soda may be harsh for everyday use and could cause discomfort in people with sensitive teeth or mouths.3 Using a toothpaste that includes baking soda as an ingredient may be safer and more pleasant for daily use.
    Cristina Mutchler, Health, 27 Mar. 2025
  • In terms of the other players in the top eight for earnings who are available, Ratcliffe made plain his dislike of the Casemiro deal from the beginning of his investment pursuit, asking several firm questions about it to senior staff during his due-diligence stage.
    Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The advanced lifting technique — which has become a favorite of specialist surgeons for its apparent longer lasting results — not only repositions the top layer of skin (known as an endoscopic facelift) but also the complex network of tissue and fibrous muscles below.
    Leah Dolan, CNN, 22 Mar. 2025
  • No rhyme, reason, or apparent causality except that computers are just [unprintable expletives].
    Nate Anderson, Ars Technica, 22 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Bald.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bald. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.

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