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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 Barely a nub of bald rock and surrounded by far more imposing cliffs, this broad perch is not a difficult climb and makes an exquisite viewing platform of the town and the changing colors of the rocks. Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 18 Oct. 2024 This is the redecorating equivalent of when, in the last episode, Erin cut off a measly 1.5 inches of her hair in solidarity with her mother, who is about to go bald from chemo. Brian Moylan, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2024 People may eventually go almost bald or completely bald from this condition. Corey Whelan, Verywell Health, 2 Oct. 2024 As the world’s shortest and baldest rock star, Phil Collins has long been the butt of jokes. Ryan Craig, Forbes, 20 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for bald 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bald
Adjective
  • Large plastic sheets which served as the floor sunk into the wet sand, leaving nothing between those sheltering inside and the bare ground.
    Abeer Salman, CNN, 29 Nov. 2024
  • Touching it with your bare hands may not be a good idea for this reason and because the plant can absorb allergens and irritants if it’s lived in the same place for a long stretch of time.
    Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 27 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • If peace has always been but a simple voluntary choice, the price of human imperfection has been paid in the coin of perpetual war.
    Henry A. Kissinger, Foreign Affairs, 18 Nov. 2024
  • Or that a different definition will make a theory simpler.
    Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 18 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Here’s How to Shop for the Right Strap-On By Malia Griggs Of these triggers, the most obvious is probably lactose, a sugar found in milk and other dairy products that doesn’t sit well with certain people, like those who are lactose-intolerant.
    Caroline Tien, SELF, 22 Nov. 2024
  • That's a substantial change that may not be immediately obvious.
    Matthew Self, The Arizona Republic, 22 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • No other position in sports is both so exposed and so stocked with potential replacements.
    Neal Rubin, Detroit Free Press, 21 Nov. 2024
  • Rebuilding any of these defense and weapons facilities could take months, putting a strain on any potential response by Iran, which is now more exposed and less able to replenish missiles.
    Freddie Clayton, NBC News, 29 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • This weekend, residents in the northernmost parts of Texas, including Amarillo and cities to the north, might be able to view the Northern Lights with the naked eye.
    Brandi D. Addison, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
  • The microscopic gold dust in those 370-ton truckloads of dirt can’t be seen with the naked eye, but after the entire pile has gone through the latest high-heat, pressure, and chemical processes, one load will on average yield about 10 ounces of gold—approximately the weight of a roll of quarters.
    Greg McKenna, Fortune, 21 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • When tornadoes rip through populated areas, their presence is unmistakable.
    Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Nov. 2024
  • The courier picked up a burrito meal order at a Lindenwold, N.J., eatery and intended to deliver it to Glassboro, but stopped in Washington Township to investigate the pungent, unmistakable smell of marijuana coming from the food, the Washington Township police said on Instagram on Nov. 24.
    Ben Brachfeld, People.com, 26 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • In many places in Texas, plain tap water is delicious, whether derived from surface, underground or cistern sources.
    Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
  • Stepping through the plain wooden door, visitors see far more than just an old house.
    Debra Utacia Krol, The Arizona Republic, 20 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Down the stretch against Portland, in a loss, this became glaringly apparent as the Rockets could not buy a basket but did not have anyone reliable to initiate offense from the perimeter with Green on the bench (after massively struggling) and point guard Fred VanVleet himself struggling.
    Rahat Huq, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2024
  • Then in June, Trump's campaign joined TikTok in an apparent effort to connect with younger voters.
    Bobby Allyn, NPR, 27 Nov. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near bald

Cite this Entry

“Bald.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bald. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.

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