naked

adjective

ˈnā-kəd How to pronounce naked (audio)
Definition of nakednext
1
as in nude
lacking or shed of clothing had recurrent nightmares about being naked in public

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bare
lacking a usual or natural covering the winter trees now look so naked without their colorful fall foliage

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in simple
free from all additions or embellishment a naked room waiting for an interior decorator's inspired touch

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 De Palma’s camera lingered just a bit too longingly on the naked adolescent girls in the showers, although the scene did capture Carrie’s extreme vulnerability in that moment. — ArsTechnica, 21 Oct. 2026 When the McDonald County Press newspaper ran the men’s photos side-by-side in a voter’s guide last week, social media took notice of their bushy sideburns and naked chins. — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2026 Hundreds of pressure sensors dot the structure, but some of what the researchers are learning in this laboratory at Florida International University can be seen with the naked eye. — Daniel Wolfe, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2026 And Seydoux demanded final approval on any scenes involving her naked body. — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 18 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for naked
Recent Examples of Synonyms for naked
  1. nude
  2. bare
  3. simple
  4. exposed
  5. plain
  6. uncovered
  7. bald
  8. open
Adjective
  • In one sequence, Evans showers nude for Fielder and his crew.
    — David Mack, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The only full frontal is when the fisherwoman (Colman) is looking at the nude wicker man off in the distance in the water.
    — Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of nude
Adjective
  • If a cool room and bare feet work for you, don’t change anything.
    — Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Oct. 2026
  • It's also laid bare the downsides of depending on a single provider for satellite internet communications, though other options are not yet comparable to SpaceX's Starlink and its military-grade Starshield offering.
    — Annie Palmer,Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of bare
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
  • 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
Adjective
  • Even Bess’s twins, once so tiny and bald in their preemie bassinets, now seemed to be growing, flippant as weeds.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
  • There’s no need to pay committed Republicans, while committed Democrats will see the offer as a bald monetization of politics that can deepen their antagonism.
    — Kenneth Greene, The Conversation, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of bald
Adjective
  • For the tinkering types, Meta also released open weights for Muse’s code to help people connect it to a range of other devices.
    — Marty Swant, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Contrary to preelection expectations by observers for a double-digit difference in favor of Yotova, her opponent showed a surprisingly strong performance, leaving all options open for the runoff.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of open

Phrases Containing naked

Browse Nearby Words

naivety
naked
nakedness
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Cite this Entry

“Naked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/naked. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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