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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
  • This is to anchor the space, look pretty, and provide a warmer surface for bare feet.
    Moriah Mason, Southern Living, 10 Jan. 2025
  • That buys time for firefighters to dig and bulldoze firebreaks of bare soil.
    Alec Luhn, WIRED, 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
  • Still, incorporating advanced technology isn’t always simple.
    Rhett Power, Forbes, 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
  • Johnson has emerged as the team’s primary back on third downs and obvious passing downs, catching 18 passes for 284 yards and three touchdowns and carrying the ball 41 times for 213 yards and one score.
    Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 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
  • But more general data, not to mention the evidence from the naked eye, suggests there is room for improvement in Strand Larsen’s all-round game.
    Steve Madeley, The Athletic, 6 Jan. 2025
  • Object Of The Week: The Pleiades This week, the moon will occult the Pleiades, the closest open cluster of stars to the solar system and a spectacular sight with both the naked eye and through binoculars.
    Jamie Carter, Forbes, 6 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
  • Other leaders were similarly circumspect about Trump’s apparent threat to invade a fellow member of NATO.
    Astha Rajvanshi, NBC News, 9 Jan. 2025
  • The incongruity of profit maximization was brought to public attention in the UK recently, as the scale of river pollution from water utility companies becomes ever more apparent.
    Aissa Dearing, JSTOR Daily, 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 20 Jan. 2025.

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