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nude

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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
So many celebs and normies alike have been gravitating toward sheer nude nails lately that it's become hard to picture wearing a bold color like in summers past, when our fingertips were decked out in neon shades, cherry red, nontraditional French manicures, and cheerful nail art. Marci Robin, Allure, 19 June 2025 Then, the Cannes 2025 Film Festival banned nude gowns on its red carpet. Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 17 June 2025
Noun
That means that within one year, every online platform will be required to remove both actual NCII and fake nudes generated by artificial intelligence within 48 hours of victims' reports or face steep penalties. Ashley Belanger – May 19, ArsTechnica, 19 May 2025 Sheer nudes and naked pinks, not too dissimilar from the nail’s natural color, are being deployed to luxurious effect. Hannah Coates, Vogue, 24 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for nude
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nude
naked
Adjective
  • Uranus, Neptune and Saturn will also be in the sky, though the former two are impossible to see with the naked eye and the latter difficult.
    Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025
  • Most of them are still scary quick, skinny and now naked.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 20 June 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nude. Accessed 27 Jun. 2025.

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