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

See Examples For:

bald balder baldest

In death, the beloved bald eagle’s final resting place has ignited a bitter clash where internet fame and tribal rights collide.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

On the heels of the death of his longtime mate Jackie, bald eagle Shadow has been perching, singing and lounging at his Big Bear nest with a new companion.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

A bald, frumpy man enters a luxury clothing store.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

Jackie, a bald eagle in California who became an online star, died on Monday after receiving weeks of veterinary treatment.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

A skinny bald man—who sort of resembled a plucked chicken in a bright blue suit—strutted out the lobby door.

From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein

Baker’s early work names preoccupations that he hadn’t quite figured out how to embody, but these balder expressions help pinpoint what is later only implied.

From The New Yorker ● Apr. 1, 2019

They might feature the recurring character Meme Man, whose glossy Voldemortian head is balder than bald, or Mr. Orange, a digital illustration of an orange with reptilian limbs and a thousand-yard stare.

From Slate ● May 11, 2018

The heroes of 2003 are a decade balder and greyer but, once more, Irish teams are back wrestling the odds in Europe.

From The Guardian ● Jan. 18, 2013

"As William grows balder and more nerdy with his old-fashioned spectacles, Harry gets more gorgeous."

From Time ● Apr. 22, 2011

The one in the lead was a stout party, balder than any egg.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

In short, it was one of the baldest displays of legal chutzpah in the history of our nation.

From Slate ● Jan. 27, 2020

“We're thrilled about our deal with Lionsgate, because we get to hang out with the tallest, best-smelling and baldest man in all of Hollywood.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 4, 2019

The entire idea of a Lego-based movie looked like the baldest, most mercenary toy-commercial setup for a film that product placement gurus could possibly imagine.

From The Verge ● Feb. 7, 2019

From the most sophisticated diplomatic language to the baldest lie, humans find ways to deceive.

From The Guardian ● Aug. 3, 2018

Lou Epstein, the oldest, shortest, and baldest of the three Epstein brothers, barely looked up from the cash register when Alfred entered the store.

From "The Contender" by Robert Lipsyte

Related Words

• bare
• hairless
• naked