stark

adjective

Save Word

\ ˈstärk

Definition of stark

(Entry 1 of 4)

1a : rigid in or as if in death

b : rigidly conforming (as to a pattern or doctrine) : absolute stark discipline

2 archaic : strong, robust

3 : utter, sheer stark nonsense

4a : barren, desolate

b(1) : having few or no ornaments : bare a stark white room

(2) : harsh, blunt the stark realities of death

5 : sharply delineated a stark contrast

stark

adverb

Definition of stark (Entry 2 of 4)

1 : in a stark manner

2 : to an absolute or complete degree : wholly stark naked stark mad

Stark

biographical name (1)

\ ˈshtärk

, ˈstärk

Definition of Stark (Entry 3 of 4)

Johannes 1874–1957 German physicist

Stark

biographical name (2)

\ ˈstärk

Definition of Stark (Entry 4 of 4)

John 1728–1822 American general in Revolution

Other Words from stark Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More About stark

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of stark in a Sentence

Adjective The room was decorated with stark simplicity. the stark reality of death This tragedy serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of drunk driving. There is a stark difference between them. His criticism of the movie stands in stark contrast to the praise it has received from others.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Because the public sector was largely responsible for developing mRNA technology and sharing it with corporations, the pandemic fortunes of these founders and investors stands in stark and repugnant contrast to billions of unvaccinated people. — Rohit Malpani, STAT, 12 June 2021 The 62-year-old writer culminated 2020 with a stark assessment of the nation’s substantial shortcomings during a year of plague and brutality. — James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2021 There are also stark pictures of a wheelchair and a bottle of epilepsy medication, each given Warholian low-resolution treatments. — Washington Post, 11 June 2021 The part is a stark departure from Alexis, a bubbly Kardashian type whose excessive hand movements and vocal fry became the subject of a million memes. — Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 11 June 2021 The number of people receiving some form of unemployment benefit for the week ending May 22 was 15.3 million, down less than 100,000 from the previous week despite a stark improvement from more than 30 million claims in the comparable week in 2020. — Jonathan Ponciano, Forbes, 10 June 2021 Senate confirmation of Tracy Stone-Manning to direct the U.S. Bureau of Land Management would mark a stark change from the government's catering to oil and gas interests under former President Donald Trump. — Matthew Brown, ajc, 9 June 2021 Senate confirmation of Tracy Stone-Manning to direct the U.S. Bureau of Land Management would mark a stark change from the government’s catering to oil and gas interests under former President Donald Trump. — The Salt Lake Tribune, 9 June 2021 Her long-shot candidacy sought to tap into the zeitgeist of last summer, when the pandemic and protests against police brutality shined a light on New York’s stark racial and economic inequities. — New York Times, 9 June 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb But the lack of health insurance, sick pay and other protections for many Americans, including Uber contractors, is stark now. — Shira Ovide, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2020 The divide is stark between the two categories of states. — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2020 The contrast is most stark between California and New York. — refinery29.com, 1 Apr. 2020 The implications are undeniably stark: Informal caregivers will no doubt continue to absorb the majority of the strain. — Grace Hatton, STAT, 24 Dec. 2019 But the climactic sequence of Midsommar features one of the last surviving Americans running stark naked across the noonday greensward with nobody obviously chasing him. — Ross Douthat, National Review, 25 July 2019 Around the turn of the last century, our place, which is now surrounded by woods, sat stark on a bald hilltop with nary a tree in sight. — Vogue, 21 June 2018 Kruger’s stark, carefully laid out design cleverly turns the façade of an innocuous strip-building into the memory of a Greek temple, the classical style in which art museums were once conventionally built. — Christopher Knight, latimes.com, 14 June 2018 Joslyn Gray is the author of the humor blog stark. raving. — Joslyn Gray, Redbook, 12 Mar. 2012

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'stark.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.