Bare — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb /ˈber/

Meaning & Definition of Bare

Bare (adjective)

  1. lacking a natural, usual, or appropriate covering
  2. lacking clothing
  3. bareheaded

Bare (verb)

  1. to make or lay (something) bare, uncover

Bare (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. being this and no more

    "impoverished people who can no longer afford the bare necessities"

    similar: mere, very
    related: absolute, all-out, arrant, out-and-out, outright, pure, sheer, simple, stark, total, unadulterated, unalloyed, unmitigated, unqualified, utter, alone, lone, only, singular, sole, solitary, solo, unique

  2. free from all additions or embellishment

    "do you want to know the bare truth?"

    similar: bald, 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. lacking a usual or natural covering

    "the ground was bare, without a trace of grass"

    similar: bald, 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

  4. lacking or shed of clothing

    "the toddler liked to run around bare"

    similar: au naturel, bottomless, disrobed, mother-naked, naked, nude, raw, starkers (chiefly British), stripped, unclad, unclothed, undressed, in the altogether, in the buff, in the nude, in the raw, stark naked
    related: seminude, topless, denuded, peeled, unveiled
    opposite: appareled, attired, clad, clothed, dressed, garbed, invested, robed, suited
    near: covered, veiled, arrayed, caparisoned, decked (out), rigged (out), tricked (out), vested, decent

  5. lacking contents that could or should be present

    "the cupboard was bare—not a thing to eat"

    similar: blank, clean, devoid, empty, stark, toom (chiefly Scottish), vacant, vacuous, void
    related: barren, hollow, available, clear, free, open, unfilled, unfurnished, unattended, uninhabited, unoccupied, abandoned, deserted, emptied, forsaken, vacated, depleted, drained, dry, exhausted
    opposite: full
    near: complete, replete, furnished, provided, supplied, filled, occupied, flush, overflowing, packed, teeming

  6. utterly lacking in something needed, wanted, or expected

    "the cupboard was bare of baking supplies"

    similar: bankrupt, barren, bereft, destitute, devoid, void
    related: blank, empty, innocent, stark, vacant, wanting, deficient, fragmental, fragmentary, incomplete, insufficient, partial, short, absent, missing
    opposite: filled, flush, fraught, full, replete, rife
    near: furnished, provided, supplied, brimming, bulging, bursting, chock-full, crammed, crowded, fat, jammed, jam-packed, loaded, packed, saturated, stuffed, abounding, swarming, teeming, thick, thronging

Bare (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to make known (as information previously kept secret)

    "finally bared the secret that she had kept to herself for so long"

    similar: disclose, discover, divulge, expose, let on (about), reveal, spill, tell, unbosom, uncloak, uncover, unmask, unveil, bring to light, go public (with), let the cat out of the bag (about), spill the beans (about)
    related: confide, share, debunk, show up, unclothe, undrape, advertise, announce, blaze, bring out, broadcast, declare, placard, post, proclaim, promulgate, publicize, publish, sound, betray, blab, give away, leak, inform, squeal, talk, communicate, impart, relate, acknowledge, admit, avow, concede, confess, own, disinter, rake up, smoke out, unearth
    opposite: cloak, conceal, cover (up), enshroud, hide, mask, shroud, veil
    near: camouflage, disguise, gild, gloss (over), varnish, whitewash, becloud, bedim, befog, cloud, darken, eclipse, obscure, overcast, overshadow, shade

Related Entry: Bare-bones (adjective)

Bare-bones is a different word from Bare. The synonyms below are for bare-bones, not for bare.

  1. including only what is most basic or needed

    "a bare-bones website"

    "a bare-bones wedding ceremony"

    "The hotel rooms are bare-bones."

    similar: bare, exiguous, hand-to-mouth, light, meager, poor, scant, scanty, scarce, skimp, skimpy, slender, slim, spare, sparing, sparse, stingy, deficient, inadequate, insufficient, lacking, short, wanting, least, littlest, lowest, mere, minimal, slightest, slight, small, thin, barren, infertile, sterile, unfruitful, unproductive
    opposite: adequate, enough, satisfactory, sufficient, tolerable, fat, fecund, fertile, fruitful, prolific, rich, lavish, luxuriant, blooming, bursting, flourishing, proliferative, swarming, teeming, thriving, excess, extra, surplus, abundant, ample, bountiful, copious, generous, liberal, plenteous, plentiful

Related Entry: Bare-knuckle (adjective)

Bare-knuckle is a different word from Bare. The synonyms below are for bare-knuckle, not for bare.

  1. as in in-your-face, take-no-prisoners

    similar: blood-and-guts, in-your-face, take-no-prisoners, argumentative, assaultive, bellicose, belligerent, brawly, chippy, combative, confrontational, discordant, disputatious, feisty, gladiatorial, militant, pugnacious, scrappy, warlike, contentious, quarrelsome, truculent, fell, ferocious, fierce, grim, savage, vicious, menacing, threatening, bestial, brute, inhuman, inhumane, barbaric, uncivilized, wild, heartless, implacable, merciless, pitiless, relentless, ruthless, unrelenting, wanton, bloodthirsty, bloody, homicidal, murdering, murderous, sanguinary, sanguine, rapacious, ravenous, voracious
    opposite: gentle, mild, unaggressive, amicable, companionable, comradely, congenial, cordial, friendly, genial, hearty, warm, warmhearted, compliant, submissive, tame, benign, compassionate, kind, merciful, pacific, peaceable, peaceful, amiable, complaisant, obliging, human, humane, civilized, cultured

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Bare

The most common words with a similar meaning to Bare:

Chiefly British: starkers
Chiefly Scottish: toom
mere, very, bald, naked, plain, plain-vanilla, simple, unadorned, undecorated, unembellished, unornamented, unvarnished, denuded, exposed, open, peeled, stripped, uncovered, au naturel, bottomless, disrobed, mother-naked, nude, raw, unclad, unclothed, undressed, blank, clean, devoid, empty, stark, vacant, vacuous, void, bankrupt, barren, bereft, destitute, in the altogether

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Bare

Words with the opposite meaning of Bare:

adorned, decorated, embellished, fancy, ornamented, covered, appareled, attired, clad, clothed, dressed, garbed, invested, robed, suited, full, filled, flush, fraught, replete, rife, cloak, conceal, cover (up), enshroud, hide, mask, shroud, veil

Related Words for Bare

absolute, all-out, arrant, out-and-out, outright, pure, sheer, total, unadulterated, unalloyed, unmitigated, unqualified, utter, alone, lone, only, singular, sole, solitary, solo, unique, divested, earthy, elemental, homely, natural, unsophisticated, forthright, honest, modest

Near Antonyms of Bare

flamboyant, flashy, garish, gaudy, glittery, glitzy, loud, ostentatious, showy, splashy, swank, tawdry, bedizened, florid, lurid, exaggerated, overdecorated, overdone, overwrought, baroque, elaborate, extravagant, ornate, rococo, arrayed, bedecked, decked-out, embroidered, garnished, trimmed

Word Forms of Bare

Inflections: barer, barest, bared, baring

Derived words: bareness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Bare

Middle English, from Old English bær; akin to Old High German bar naked, Lithuanian basas barefoot

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Bare

Words & Phrases Containing Bare

bare-bones, bare bones, bare-handed, bare-knuckle, bare essentials, bare (it) all, bare one's soul

Frequently Asked Questions about Bare

What does "Bare" mean?

"Bare" means lacking a natural, usual, or appropriate covering. As an an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: lacking a natural, usual, or appropriate covering. It has 7 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Bare"?

Other words for "Bare" include mere, very, bald, naked, plain, plain-vanilla, simple and unadorned. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Bare" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Bare"?

There are 188 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Bare". Common alternatives include mere, very, bald, naked, plain, plain-vanilla, simple, unadorned, undecorated and unembellished.

What is the opposite of "Bare"?

Antonyms of "Bare" include adorned, decorated, embellished, fancy, ornamented, covered, appareled and attired. Near antonyms include flamboyant, flashy, garish and gaudy.

How do you use "Bare" in a sentence?

Examples of "Bare" in a sentence: "impoverished people who can no longer afford the bare necessities"; "do you want to know the bare truth?"; "the ground was bare, without a trace of grass".

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

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

Is "Bare" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Bare" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Bare"?

"Bare" is pronounced /ˈber/.