Bald — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb /ˈbȯld/

Meaning & Definition of Bald

Bald (adjective)

  1. lacking a natural or usual covering (as of hair, vegetation, or nap)
  2. having little or no tread
  3. marked with white

Bald (verb)

  1. to make bald
  2. to become bald

Bald (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. lacking a usual or natural covering

    "trees that are bald in the winter aren't the best for giving a home year-round privacy"

    similar: bare, denuded, exposed, naked, open, peeled, stripped, uncovered
    related: displayed, revealed, hairless, shaven, disrobed, unclad, unclothed, undressed, furless, skinned, divested, unprotected
    opposite: covered
    near: mantled, overgrown, overrun, overspread, bearded, hairy

  2. free from all additions or embellishment

    "try to avoid the bald statement You're wrong! when trying to reason with someone"

    similar: bare, naked, plain, plain-vanilla, simple, unadorned, undecorated, unembellished, unornamented, unvarnished
    related: denuded, divested, stripped, au naturel, earthy, elemental, homely, natural, unsophisticated, forthright, honest, modest, unpretentious, clean, antiseptic, austere, bleak, severe, spartan, stark, minimalist, inconspicuous, muted, restrained, sober, subdued, toned (down), unobtrusive, conservative, quiet, understated
    opposite: adorned, decorated, embellished, fancy, ornamented
    near: flamboyant, flashy, garish, gaudy, glittery, glitzy, loud, ostentatious, showy, splashy, swank, tawdry, bedizened, florid, lurid, exaggerated, overdecorated, overdone, overwrought, baroque, elaborate, extravagant, ornate, rococo, appareled, arrayed, bedecked, decked-out, dressed, embroidered, garnished, trimmed

  3. not subject to misinterpretation or more than one interpretation

    "her angry neighbor's bald accusations of stealing his mail offended her"

    similar: apparent, bald-faced, barefaced, bright-line, broad, clear, clear-cut, crystal clear, decided, distinct, evident, lucid, luculent, luminous, manifest, nonambiguous, obvious, open-and-shut, palpable, patent, pellucid, perspicuous, plain, ringing, straightforward, transparent, unambiguous, unambivalent, unequivocal, unmistakable
    related: cognizable, cognoscible, comprehendible, comprehensible, digestible, fathomable, graspable, intelligible, knowable, understandable, self-evident, self-explanatory, clean-cut, simple, tidy, uncomplicated, overt, undisguised, appreciable, perceptible, recognizable, sensible, tangible, discernible, noticeable, observable, visible, black-and-white, explicit, trenchant, well-defined, clean, decipherable, fair, legible, readable
    opposite: ambiguous, clouded, cryptic, dark, enigmatic, equivocal, indistinct, mysterious, nonobvious, obfuscated, obscure, unapparent, unclarified, unclear
    near: incomprehensible, indecipherable, unfathomable, unintelligible, unknowable, impalpable, imperceptible, inappreciable, indiscernible, insensible, cloudy, gauzy, gray, hazy, imprecise, indefinite, indeterminate, misty, murky, nebulous, noncommittal, sketchy, slippery, subtle, vague, illegible, undecipherable, unreadable

Related Entry: Bald-faced (adjective)

Bald-faced is a different word from Bald. The synonyms below are for bald-faced, not for bald.

  1. not subject to misinterpretation or more than one interpretation

    "I took the remark as a bald-faced accusation that I had cheated"

    similar: apparent, bald, barefaced, bright-line, broad, clear, clear-cut, crystal clear, decided, distinct, evident, lucid, luculent, luminous, manifest, nonambiguous, obvious, open-and-shut, palpable, patent, pellucid, perspicuous, plain, ringing, straightforward, transparent, unambiguous, unambivalent, unequivocal, unmistakable
    related: cognizable, cognoscible, comprehendible, comprehensible, digestible, fathomable, graspable, intelligible, knowable, understandable, self-evident, self-explanatory, clean-cut, simple, tidy, uncomplicated, overt, undisguised, appreciable, perceptible, recognizable, sensible, tangible, discernible, noticeable, observable, visible, black-and-white, explicit, trenchant, well-defined, clean, decipherable, fair, legible, readable
    opposite: ambiguous, clouded, cryptic, dark, enigmatic, equivocal, indistinct, mysterious, nonobvious, obfuscated, obscure, unapparent, unclarified, unclear
    near: incomprehensible, indecipherable, unfathomable, unintelligible, unknowable, impalpable, imperceptible, inappreciable, indiscernible, insensible, cloudy, gauzy, gray, hazy, imprecise, indefinite, indeterminate, misty, murky, nebulous, noncommittal, sketchy, slippery, subtle, vague, illegible, undecipherable, unreadable

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Bald

The most common words with a similar meaning to Bald:

bare, denuded, exposed, naked, open, peeled, stripped, uncovered, plain, plain-vanilla, simple, unadorned, undecorated, unembellished, unornamented, unvarnished, apparent, bald-faced, barefaced, bright-line, broad, clear, clear-cut, crystal clear, decided, distinct, evident, lucid, luculent, luminous, manifest, nonambiguous, obvious, open-and-shut, palpable, patent, pellucid, perspicuous, ringing, straightforward

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Bald

Words with the opposite meaning of Bald:

covered, adorned, decorated, embellished, fancy, ornamented, ambiguous, clouded, cryptic, dark, enigmatic, equivocal, indistinct, mysterious, nonobvious, obfuscated, obscure, unapparent, unclarified, unclear

Related Words for Bald

displayed, revealed, hairless, shaven, disrobed, unclad, unclothed, undressed, furless, skinned, divested, unprotected, au naturel, earthy, elemental, homely, natural, unsophisticated, forthright, honest, modest, unpretentious, clean, antiseptic, austere, bleak, severe, spartan, stark, minimalist

Near Antonyms of Bald

mantled, overgrown, overrun, overspread, bearded, hairy, flamboyant, flashy, garish, gaudy, glittery, glitzy, loud, ostentatious, showy, splashy, swank, tawdry, bedizened, florid, lurid, exaggerated, overdecorated, overdone, overwrought, baroque, elaborate, extravagant, ornate, rococo

Word Forms of Bald

Inflections: balded, balding, balds

Derived words: baldish (adjective), baldly (adverb), baldness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Bald

Middle English balled; probably akin to Danish dialect bældet bald, Latin fulica coot, Greek phalios having a white spot, Old English bǣl fire, pyre

First known use: 14th century

Words & Phrases Containing Bald

bald cypress, bald eagle, bald-faced, bald-faced hornet, go bald

Frequently Asked Questions about Bald

What does "Bald" mean?

"Bald" means lacking a natural or usual covering (as of hair, vegetation, or nap). As an an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: lacking a natural or usual covering (as of hair, vegetation, or nap). It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Bald"?

Other words for "Bald" include bare, denuded, exposed, naked, open, peeled, stripped and uncovered. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Bald" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Bald"?

There are 119 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Bald". Common alternatives include bare, denuded, exposed, naked, open, peeled, stripped, uncovered, plain and plain-vanilla.

What is the opposite of "Bald"?

Antonyms of "Bald" include covered, adorned, decorated, embellished, fancy, ornamented, ambiguous and clouded. Near antonyms include mantled, overgrown, overrun and overspread.

How do you use "Bald" in a sentence?

Examples of "Bald" in a sentence: "trees that are bald in the winter aren't the best for giving a home year-round privacy"; "try to avoid the bald statement You're wrong! when trying to reason with someone"; "her angry neighbor's bald accusations of stealing his mail offended her".

Is "Bald" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Bald" can be used as an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Bald"?

"Bald" is pronounced /ˈbȯld/.

What is the origin of the word "Bald"?

"Bald" comes from Middle English balled; probably akin to Danish dialect bældet bald, Latin fulica coot, Greek phalios having a white spot, Old English bǣl fire, pyre. First known use: 14th century.