Definition of nakednext
1
2
3

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective naked differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of naked are bald, bare, barren, and nude. While all these words mean "deprived of naturally or conventionally appropriate covering," 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 would bald be a good substitute for naked?

In some situations, the words bald and naked are roughly equivalent. However, bald implies actual or seeming absence of natural covering and may suggest a conspicuous bareness.

a bald mountain peak

When could bare be used to replace naked?

The meanings of bare and naked largely overlap; however, bare implies the removal of what is additional, superfluous, ornamental, or dispensable.

an apartment with bare walls

When can barren be used instead of naked?

While in some cases nearly identical to naked, barren often suggests aridity or impoverishment or sterility.

barren plains

When might nude be a better fit than naked?

The words nude and naked are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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 naked That places it beyond naked-eye visibility for most observers. Claire Dodds, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026 There was an economic crisis, and there was naked repression. Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026 Police said security footage from the store shows customers staring and retreating before 53-year-old Tammy Canut of North Huntingdon walks into the frame naked. Meghan Schiller, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026 There are a lot of naked people that are good people. Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 26 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for naked
Recent Examples of Synonyms for naked
Adjective
  • Its contents range from 19th-century anti-aging pills, to biologist Charles Darwin’s walking stick, to striking nude self-portraits by then-sexagenarian British photographer John Coplans.
    Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2026
  • The father's phone showed similar pictures, with 10 to 11-year-old females nude, police said.
    Tom Ignudo, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Workers in luminous yellow jackets sat on bare concrete slabs during games, occasionally fetching footballs that flew through the uprights and bounced around.
    Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 28 Mar. 2026
  • Combined with her rounded almond shape, Gomez's nails look clean and healthy with just the right amount of shine for an elevated take on a bare nail.
    Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Build buffer time, trim one commitment, then return to the itinerary with even gentler expectations and a simpler packing list.
    Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Parents, guardians, aunts and uncles don't have time to read every book on the shelf while trying to pick something for the young reader in their life, so here are some simple ways to determine if a book is suitable for that child.
    Cody Godwin, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Plus, by leaving the foot more exposed, sandals help elongate the leg, which is particularly useful when wearing capri-length pants.
    René Chávez Esparza, Glamour, 22 Mar. 2026
  • The objective is to reduce exposed equity within the entity in a lawful and structured manner.
    Ascend Agency, New York Daily News, 11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • This is plain weaponization of the FBI for partisan political purposes.
    Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
  • Great effort has been made to transform what is ordinarily a plain, beige room into a festive space.
    Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • In other cases, the complaint alleges, Kinex would bundle an uncovered medical device commonly prescribed after surgery with a device that was not needed for recovery but was covered by insurance, the complaint says.
    Sarah Volpenhein, jsonline.com, 6 Mar. 2026
  • The restaurant was in violation of 10 standards, including containers of uncovered food and dishes stacked wet.
    Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, Maye's teammate Kayshon Boutte teased his friend by simply dropping a bald man emoji in the comments.
    Catherine Messier, The Providence Journal, 31 Mar. 2026
  • Choosing to shave it off These three men, like other men facing the same conditions, could see many other men going about their days as bald men.
    Lily Hautau, CNN Money, 30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • The challenge is not to retreat from circulation, but to insist that circulation be thought through, grounded in specific places and their conditions, and accountable, open to friction, contamination, and transformation rather than insulated coherence.
    Manuela Moscoso, Artforum, 2 Apr. 2026
  • When camping in an open environment, select a campsite in a valley, ravine, or low region.
    STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Apr. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Naked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/naked. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on naked

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster