BARE Synonyms: 303 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'bare' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of bare are bald , barren , naked , and nude . While all these words 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

Q: When might 'bald' be a better fit than 'bare'?

The synonyms bald and bare are sometimes interchangeable, but bald implies actual or seeming absence of natural covering and may suggest a conspicuous bareness. // a bald mountain peak

Q: When is it sensible to use 'barren' instead of 'bare'?

The words barren and bare can be used in similar contexts, but barren often suggests aridity or impoverishment or sterility. // barren plains

Q: In what contexts can 'naked' take the place of 'bare'?

While in some cases nearly identical to bare , naked suggests absence of protective or ornamental covering but may imply a state of nature, of destitution, or of defenselessness. // poor half- naked children

Q: Where would 'nude' be a reasonable alternative to 'bare'?

While the synonyms nude and bare are close in meaning, nude applies especially to the unclothed human figure. // a nude model posing for art students

bare 1 of 2

adjective

ˈber

Definition of bare

as in mere

being this and no more impoverished people who can no longer afford the bare necessities

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in simple

free from all additions or embellishment do you want to know the bare truth?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in exposed

lacking a usual or natural covering the ground was bare, without a trace of grass

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in naked

lacking or shed of clothing the toddler liked to run around bare

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in devoid

lacking contents that could or should be present the cupboard was bare—not a thing to eat

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in void

utterly lacking in something needed, wanted, or expected the cupboard was bare of baking supplies

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

bare

2 of 2

verb

ˈber

as in to reveal

to make known (as information previously kept secret) finally bared the secret that she had kept to herself for so long

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective bare differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of bare are bald, barren, naked, and nude. While all these words 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

When might bald be a better fit than bare?

The synonyms bald and bare are sometimes interchangeable, but bald implies actual or seeming absence of natural covering and may suggest a conspicuous bareness.

a bald mountain peak

When is it sensible to use barren instead of bare?

The words barren and bare can be used in similar contexts, but barren often suggests aridity or impoverishment or sterility.

barren plains

In what contexts can naked take the place of bare?

While in some cases nearly identical to bare, naked suggests absence of protective or ornamental covering but may imply a state of nature, of destitution, or of defenselessness.

poor half-naked children

Where would nude be a reasonable alternative to bare?

While the synonyms nude and bare are close in meaning, 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 bare

Adjective

And there it was laid bare, Hochul playing the MAGA card to express her frustration with the constant attacks from Blakeman about high utility bills. — Marcia Kramer, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026 The body was laid bare, via dramatic cutouts, lingerie, transparent and transluscent garments, to accentuate the form. — Rachael Akhidenor, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2026

Verb

With his head shaved and his chest usually bared, Yousuke Yukimatsu melds body and machine to choreograph intensely physical sonic marathons. — Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2026 For the outing, the 43-year-old actress bared her baby bump in a strapless, long-sleeved, sheer black top. — Juliana Ukiomogbe, InStyle, 30 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bare

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bare

Adjective

The Washington State offense finished with just 244 yards of offense — 191 in the air and a mere 53 on the ground.

— Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 25 Oct. 2026
Without it, growth would have slowed to a mere fraction of a percentage point, leaving the economy nearly stagnant and flirting with recession.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of mere

Adjective

The actor wore a long black leather coat over a simple black tank, paired with straight-leg blue jeans cinched with a leather belt.

— Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2026
The company played with flexible workdays instead of rigid schedules, clearer windows for collaboration, simpler rules for meetings, better ways to share and document work, and more intentional reasons for coming together in person.

— Deborah Lovich, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of simple

Adjective

The end result would be a gassy surface shining as brightly as a more exposed black hole but with the Balmer break and smooth red hump of a 5,000-kelvin star, de Graaff and Naidu theorized.

— Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 14 Sep. 2026
Morgan Stanley said Equinix and Digital Realty are less exposed because their facilities average roughly 5 to 10 megawatts, far below the gigawatt-scale AI campuses planned by hyperscalers and neocloud operators.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of exposed

Adjective

And why is Owen Wilson grinning like an awkward schoolboy at Zeus’s naked daughters?

— Andrea Sachs, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2026
Interior designer Geoffrey Bradfield raised eyebrows at his 80th birthday party at the Lowell Hotel with a group of nearly naked male models body-painted in safari garb.

— Richard Johnson, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of naked

Verb

As case counts surged in the initial months of the outbreak, population and demographic data revealed who was shouldering the greatest burdens.

— Julie Morita, Time, 25 Oct. 2026
Medical examinations initially revealed no major injury, but his condition deteriorated.

— Lance B. Fulford, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of reveal

Adjective

On the fall 2026 runways, romantic clothes arrived styled like everything else in your closet—a lace skirt with a cotton shirt, a gown with a combat boot, a ruffled collar over plain velvet trousers—and the shift is visible on the street too.

— Laurence Goldberg, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2026
Refrigerated tortellini is one of the fastest ways to turn plain broth into a satiating, delicious meal.

— Danielle Bouchard, Martha Stewart, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of plain

Adjective

In 2023, a federal audit flagged serious pesticide incidents in half a dozen counties and uncovered patchwork oversight by agricultural commissioners.

— Robert J. Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
Moore added a pair of long passing touchdowns, one to an uncovered Dakorien Moore on a busted coverage, and another down the sideline to Stewart to complete a 28-point first quarter.

— ABC News, ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of uncovered

Browse Nearby Words

bards

bare

bare-bones

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Style

“Bare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bare. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of bare

adjective

verb

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

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'Bare' vs. 'Bear'

Cite this Entry

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