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

The bare-bones filing said the company had $10 million to $50 million in both assets and liabilities and between 200 and 999 creditors. —Evan Clark, Footwear News, 23 June 2025

Its bare-bones, standardized approach feels too inorganic, and too conveyor-belt-processed, to meld with Matsuhisa’s culinary style, or his outlook on his art — which the movie also frequently brushes past. —Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 17 June 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