bare-bones

1 of 2

adjective

ˈber-ˈbōnz 

: including only what is most basic or necessary

a bare-bones email program

Skyscrapers of steel hung with curtain walls of glass, these sleek buildings were impressive monuments to bare-bones architectural integrity.

—C. A. Mills

bare bones

2 of 2

plural noun

: the barest essentials, facts, or elements

the bare bones of her life

Examples of bare-bones in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Here's where things stand As CNBC anchor Silvia Amaro reported last week, the EU is banking on at least a bare-bones deal to show progress and avoid the 50% levy on products exported from the bloc. —Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 6 July 2025

The bare-bones restaurant was quiet during my visit, with just one friendly worker on duty behind the counter. —Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado july 5, Sacbee.com, 5 July 2025

Plural noun

Though the indoor dining room is a bit bare bones, the patio attached to the food truck kitchen is a welcoming oasis off a busy South Nashville strip. —Mackensy Lunsford, The Tennessean, 14 Nov. 2024

Wan’s ice cream bar is purposefully bare bones—a single counter with stainless steel wells holding a rotation of limited-run flavors. —Clarissa Wei, AFAR Media, 13 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1868, in the meaning defined above

Plural Noun

1647, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for bare-bones

• anticyclones
• allophones
• chaperones
• cobblestones
• cornerstones
• francophones
• gramophones
• hydrophones
• microphones
• overtones
• pheromones
• quinolones