nude 1 of 2

nude

2 of 2

noun

as in nudity
the state of having no clothes on one's body the artist painted some models in the nude

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective nude differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of nude are bald, bare, barren, and naked. While all these words mean "deprived of naturally or conventionally appropriate covering," nude applies especially to the unclothed human figure.

a nude model posing for art students

In what contexts can bald take the place of nude?

While in some cases nearly identical to nude, bald implies actual or seeming absence of natural covering and may suggest a conspicuous bareness.

a bald mountain peak

When is bare a more appropriate choice than nude?

While the synonyms bare and nude are close in meaning, bare implies the removal of what is additional, superfluous, ornamental, or dispensable.

an apartment with bare walls

When can barren be used instead of nude?

The meanings of barren and nude largely overlap; however, barren often suggests aridity or impoverishment or sterility.

barren plains

When would naked be a good substitute for nude?

The synonyms naked and nude are sometimes interchangeable, but naked suggests absence of protective or ornamental covering but may imply a state of nature, of destitution, or of defenselessness.

poor half-naked children

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 nude
Adjective
While not explicitly gay, one particularly faggy (complimentary) element of the project for me was an image of a crowd marveling in awe at the Bronzi di Riace — two bronze statues of buff, bearded, and of course, nude, Greek soldiers. Ludwig Hurtado, Them., 29 Sep. 2025 Meanwhile, nude nails are all in this season. Essence, 29 Sep. 2025
Noun
Findikoglu is also welcoming a new color palette of nudes, pink and white that will offset the darker looks. Hikmat Mohammed, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2025 Fischl referenced the great Greek athletic nudes, such as Myron’s discus thrower, to achieve not just the portrayal of continuous energetic motion but also the suggestion that great human athleticism is about a stopping point, calculated containment. Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 30 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for nude
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nude
Adjective
  • This aspect will always cast her apart, even today, in the sense that a woman’s naked body is still perceived by audiences as something that stands out for some absurd reason, unfortunately.
    Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 2 Oct. 2025
  • The lawsuit stemmed from Nirvana’s use of a photo taken by Weddle at the Pasadena Aquatic Center in California that depicted Elden swimming naked toward a dollar bill on a fishhook.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • To some subscribers of Danni’s Hot Box, the interactions were more important than the nudity.
    Mark Dent, HubSpot, 26 Sep. 2025
  • CapCut forbids users from uploading content that contains nudity, but content has slipped through the cracks in the past, says Yaron Litwin, an online safety expert at Canopy.
    Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 24 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nude. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on nude

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!