bald

American  

[bawld] / bɔld /

adjective

balder, comparative baldest superlative

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

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Adjectives

• balder
  comparative
• baldest
  superlative

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

It comes from a bald eagle known as "Old Abe" -- named for president Abraham Lincoln -- that served as a mascot to Union troops in over 30 battles in the US Civil War.

From Barron's • Jul. 2, 2026

A young bald eagle has taken flight, leaving an empty nest in Big Bear Valley, California.

From BBC • Jun. 30, 2026

You can get a lot of retweets by referring to the “land of the free” with bald eagle and American flag emojis as you drive over the bridge from Canada.

From Slate • Jun. 25, 2026

How about protecting a beloved family of bald eagles, environmental advocates say.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 24, 2026

Construction crews haul supplies while women in skirts wheel laundry carts of paper between bald wooden huts.

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• bare
• hairless
• naked