bald

American  

[bawld] / bɔld /

adjective

1. having little or no hair on the scalp.

   a bald head;

   a bald person.

2. destitute of some natural growth or covering.

   a bald mountain.

3. lacking detail; bare; plain; unadorned.

   a bald prose style.

4. open; undisguised.

   a bald lie.

   Synonyms:

   flat-out, downright, out-and-out, utter, patent, flagrant, barefaced, bare

5. Zoology. having white on the head.

   the bald eagle.

6. Automotive. (of a tire) having the tread completely worn away.

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verb (used without object)

1. to become bald.

noun

1. (often initial capital letter) a treeless mountaintop or area near the top: often used as part of a proper name.

bald British  

/ bɔːld /

adjective

1. having no hair or fur, esp (of a man) having no hair on all or most of the scalp

2. lacking natural growth or covering

3. plain or blunt

   a bald statement

4. bare or simple; unadorned

5. Also: baldfaced.  (of certain birds and other animals) having white markings on the head and face

6. (of a tyre) having a worn tread

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Usage

What is a basic definition of bald? Bald describes a person as having no or little hair on their head. Bald also means to lose one’s hair and describes something as being out in the open or not hidden. Bald has several other senses as an adjective and one as a noun. A bald person lacks hair on their head. There are multiple reasons why a person might be bald. For many bald men, becoming bald is the result of a genetic condition known as male pattern baldness, which causes their hair to thin and fall out as they age. A person may be bald because they shave their head or because of chemotherapy, which often causes hair loss all over the body. While animals who don’t have fur or hair could be called bald, hairless is more commonly used.

• Real-life examples: Some examples of famous bald men include basketball player Michael Jordan, singer Sinead O’Connor, and the 14th Dalai Lama.
• Used in a sentence: Chang had hair in his 30s but was completely bald by the time he turned 40.

In this same sense, bald is used as a verb to mean to become bald. The phrase “go bald” is also commonly used.

• Used in a sentence: Phillip began to bald early in life so he decided to start shaving his head.

Bald is also used to describe something that is out in the open and acknowledged. A bald insult, for example, is one that you don’t try to hide. You say it boldly and unapologetically.

• Used in a sentence: Fanny said a bald lie when asked why she didn’t go to work.

Other Word Forms

• baldish
  adjective
• baldly
  adverb
• baldness
  noun
• half-bald
  adjective
• semibald
  adjective
• semibaldly
  adverb
• semibaldness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of bald

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English ball(e)d, equivalent to ball “white spot” (compare Welsh bal, Greek phaliós “having a white spot”) + -ed -ed ³

Explanation

Use the adjective bald to describe someone who has no hair on his head. If your uncle has a smooth, hairless scalp, he's bald. Some men are bald because they shave their heads, while others have become bald gradually over the years. It's often said that if a man's grandfather was bald, he will also be bald. Certain conditions, illnesses, and even medicines can also make women bald. Another way to use the word is to mean "plain, blunt, or obvious." You might describe, for example, a school's bald request for donations of money and supplies.

Example Sentences

Analyst Mitch Ryan points out that MinRes has previously signaled it could restart Bald Hill within 4 months of any decision.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

In “Exit the King,” he confronts the insupportable reality of death with the same madcap delirium of his better known works, such as “The Bald Soprano,” “The Chairs” and “Rhinoceros.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026

Bald eagles in the lower 48 were in danger of extinction by the early 1960s, shot in droves by hunters in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and poisoned by DDT after World War II.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026

Between 2017 and 2023, the Arizona-based research team used satellite transmitters to follow 24 newly fledged Bald Eagles and two nonbreeding adults and to map how they moved within and beyond the state.

From Science Daily • Dec. 11, 2025

She’d take it out past West Point, past Hermit, past Bald Head, and drift until she was alone with the whales in the open water.

From "Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy" by Gary D. Schmidt

Related Words

• bare
• hairless
• naked