Definition of nakednext
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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective naked differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of naked are bald, bare, barren, and nude. While all these words mean "deprived of naturally or conventionally appropriate covering," naked suggests absence of protective or ornamental covering but may imply a state of nature, of destitution, or of defenselessness.

poor half-naked children

When would bald be a good substitute for naked?

In some situations, the words bald and naked are roughly equivalent. However, bald implies actual or seeming absence of natural covering and may suggest a conspicuous bareness.

a bald mountain peak

When could bare be used to replace naked?

The meanings of bare and naked largely overlap; however, bare implies the removal of what is additional, superfluous, ornamental, or dispensable.

an apartment with bare walls

When can barren be used instead of naked?

While in some cases nearly identical to naked, barren often suggests aridity or impoverishment or sterility.

barren plains

When might nude be a better fit than naked?

The words nude and naked are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, nude applies especially to the unclothed human figure.

a nude model posing for art students

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of naked Of course, everyone is granted a certain level of privacy inside their house, but there are specific guidelines within Arizona's public indecency laws that could put you at fault for being naked in your own home if a person sees you. Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 1 Sep. 2026 Officers forcefully entered the residence to find a deceased naked woman on the bedroom floor in the back of the apartment. Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Aug. 2026 In August 2025, he was charged with four felonies after allegedly attacking police officers while walking naked through the streets of Los Angeles. Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 29 Aug. 2026 Other Surrealists, meanwhile, seemed to take from animals a license to exploit other (generally female) bodies, as in Clovis Trouille’sJustine(1937), in which both a naked female figure and a lion are bound and captive. Kelly Presutti, ARTnews.com, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for naked
Recent Examples of Synonyms for naked
Adjective
  • Tan lining was sewn in beneath the green lace to create a nude illusion.
    Amina Ayoud, Footwear News, 5 Sep. 2026
  • In one incident, during a personal trip to Oregon, Chavez-DeRemer allegedly stopped at a strip club featuring partially nude dancers and directed her limousine driver to give money to a performer, the report said.
    Jill Colvin, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • At Gatwick Airport, about 30 miles south of central London, passengers stretched out on the bare floor beside their suitcases.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2026
  • After enduring a harrowing court proceeding in July that laid bare the grisly details of their daughter’s death, the parents of Celeste Rivas Hernandez are suing singer D4vd for wrongful death and accusing his mother and managers of negligence.
    Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Underpinning this assessment is the fact that disagreements between the two nations have gradually expanded beyond simple tariff disputes.
    , CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026
  • In simple terms, cherry juice targets the muscle inflammation caused by exercise, known as oxidative stress.
    Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Morgan Stanley said Equinix and Digital Realty are less exposed because their facilities average roughly 5 to 10 megawatts, far below the gigawatt-scale AI campuses planned by hyperscalers and neocloud operators.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The fact that my life is so exposed is incredibly complex for me.
    Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Customers who want waffles at No Knife will pay anywhere from $15 for a plain one to $45 for a waffle topped with collard greens, candied yams, and mac and cheese.
    Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The Democratic candidates won at the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, where a judges’ panel found that the FCC public notice contradicts the plain language of US law that limits the discount to individual candidates.
    Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 8 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • But Texas is one of 10 states that chose not to expand Medicaid after the ACA became law, so many of the poorest Texans remain uncovered.
    Olivia Aldridge, NPR, 23 Aug. 2026
  • There, too, cafés have been pressured to refuse to serve uncovered women, a young woman who recently traveled there told me.
    Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
Adjective
  • Townshend, who’s 81 now, sits for an extended interview, wearing a red wool cap over his bald head.
    Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Even among the worldliest of us, an unexpected roundabout can trigger a fireworks-and-bald-eagles display of patriotic rage.
    AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Not only did the limited library cards and shirts go fast, the whole rotunda reached legal capacity in just 20 minutes post-doors open time.
    Caden Perry, jsonline.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The investigation into Lucas had been open since the Biden administration, the New York Times previously reported.
    Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Naked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/naked. Accessed 11 Sep. 2026.

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