nude

1 of 2

adjective

ˈnüd 

ˈnyüd

nuder; nudest

1

: lacking something essential especially to legal validity

a nude contract

2

a

: devoid of a natural or conventional covering

especially : not covered by clothing or a drape

b(1)

: having a color that matches the wearer's skin tones

nude pantyhose

nude lipstick

(2)

: giving the appearance of nudity

a nude dress

c

: featuring nudes

a nude movie

d

: frequented by naked people

a nude beach

nude adverb

nudely adverb

nudeness noun

nudity

ˈnü-də-tē 

ˈnyü-

noun

nude

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: a representation of a nude human figure

b

: a nude person

2

: the condition of being nude

in the nude

Synonyms of nude

Adjective

• naked

Noun

• nudity

Choose the Right Synonym for nude

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 nude in a Sentence

Adjective

The artists sketched the nude model.

Picasso's paintings of nude art models.

Noun

the nudes of Greek sculpture

the artist painted some models in the nude

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Radium Kagaya has private rooms for those who prefer not to be nude in front of strangers to rent in 90-minute increments, as well as public baths. —Mae Hamilton, Travel + Leisure, 17 Feb. 2026

In a separate scene, Pippa comes out to Wrigley and tells him about Stephen sending Diana’s nude photos to her father. —Jp Mangalindan, Time, 17 Feb. 2026

Noun

In order to rule in her favor, jurors will have to parse the harmful actions of fellow users — including her high school bullies and adult men sending her unsolicited nudes — from design decisions made by the companies themselves. —Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026

Focusing on Mapplethorpe’s aesthetic research, the exhibition features over 200 works, tracing the evolution of Mapplethorpe’s visual language through themes like portraits, self-portraits, flowers and nudes. —Andrea Onate, Footwear News, 6 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin nudus naked — more at naked

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1708, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing nude

• in the nude

Rhymes for nude

• blued
• booed
• brewed
• brood
• chewed
• cooed
• crude
• cued
• dude
• feud
• food
• glued

Kids Definition

nude

1 of 2 adjective

ˈn(y)üd 

nuder; nudest

: having no clothes on

nudeness noun

nude

2 of 2 noun

1

: a nude human figure especially as shown in art

2

: the condition of being nude

in the nude