bald

1 of 2

adjective

ˈbȯld 

1

a

: lacking a natural or usual covering (as of hair, vegetation, or nap)

his bald head

Both men were bald.

a bald hill

bald trees

The rug was bald with wear.

b

: having little or no tread

bald tires

2

: marked with white

a horse with a bald face

3

: lacking adornment or amplification

a bald assertion

4

: undisguised, palpable

bald arrogance

baldish

ˈbȯl-dish 

adjective

baldly

ˈbȯl(d)-lē 

adverb

baldness

ˈbȯl(d)-nəs 

noun

bald

2 of 2

verb

balded; balding; balds

transitive verb

: to make bald

intransitive verb

: to become bald

balding with age

Synonyms

Adjective

• bare
• denuded
• exposed
• naked
• open
• peeled
• stripped
• uncovered

Choose the Right Synonym for bald

bare, naked, nude, bald, barren 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

naked suggests absence of protective or ornamental covering but may imply a state of nature, of destitution, or of defenselessness.

poor half-naked children

nude applies especially to the unclothed human figure.

a nude model posing for art students

bald implies actual or seeming absence of natural covering and may suggest a conspicuous bareness.

a bald mountain peak

barren often suggests aridity or impoverishment or sterility.

barren plains

Examples of bald in a Sentence

Adjective

All of his uncles are completely bald.

He had gone completely bald by the age of 30.

He covered his bald head with a baseball cap.

There's a bald spot on the top of his head.

There are bald patches in the cat's fur.

an old car with bald tires

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The first night, the characters are menaced by a bald hulk in overalls, wearing a clown mask with the mouth area (including his teeth) smashed in. —Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 25 Apr. 2025

For many Black women, the impulse to shave your head may come and go, but bald cuts are an easy solution—and quick to grow back. —India Espy-Jones, Essence, 9 Apr. 2025

Verb

Minoxidil, a drug first introduced in the 1970s as a treatment for severe hypertension, was coincidentally discovered for causing hair growth in balding patients. —Essence, 3 Apr. 2025

Smug characters like Saxon and Victoria assume that a lack of better options has led the young women at Greg/Gary’s party into love affairs with rich, balding older men. —Judy Berman, Time, 31 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English balled; probably akin to Danish dialect bældet bald, Latin fulica coot, Greek phalios having a white spot, Old English bǣl fire, pyre

Verb

derivative of bald entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1602, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Phrases Containing bald

• bald cypress
• bald eagle
• bald-faced
• bald-faced hornet
• go bald

Rhymes for bald

• auld
• balled
• bawled
• called
• crawled
• drawled
• galled
• hauled
• lolled
• mauled
• palled
• scald

Kids Definition

bald

1 of 2 adjective

ˈbȯld 

1

: lacking a natural or usual covering (as of hair)

2

: plain entry 2 sense 1, unadorned

the bald facts

baldly adverb

baldness

ˈbȯl(d)-nəs 

noun

bald

2 of 2 verb

: to become bald

his head is balding

Medical Definition

bald

adjective

ˈbȯld 

: lacking all or a significant part of the hair on the head or sometimes on other parts of the body

bald intransitive verb