naked
Americanadjective
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being without clothing or covering; nude.
naked children swimming in the lake.
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without adequate clothing.
a naked little beggar.
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bare of any covering, overlying matter, vegetation, foliage, or the like.
naked fields.
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bare, stripped, or destitute (usually followed byof ).
The trees were suddenly naked of leaves.
- Synonyms:
- denuded
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without the customary covering, container, or protection.
a naked sword;
a naked flame.
- Synonyms:
- exposed
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without carpets, hangings, or furnishings, as rooms or walls.
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(of the eye, sight, etc.) unassisted by a microscope, telescope, or other instrument.
visible to the naked eye.
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defenseless; unprotected; exposed.
naked to invaders.
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plain; simple; unadorned.
the naked realities of the matter.
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not accompanied or supplemented by anything else.
a naked outline of the facts.
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exposed to view or plainly revealed.
the naked threat in the letter;
a naked vein of coal.
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plain-spoken; blunt.
the naked truth.
- Synonyms:
- unvarnished, stark, simple
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Law. unsupported, as by authority or consideration.
a naked promise.
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Botany.
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(of seeds) not enclosed in an ovary.
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(of flowers) without a calyx or perianth.
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(of stalks, branches, etc.) without leaves.
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(of stalks, leaves, etc.) without hairs or pubescence.
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Zoology. having no covering of hair, feathers, shell, etc.
adjective
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having the body completely unclothed; undressed Compare bare 1
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having no covering; bare; exposed
a naked flame
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with no qualification or concealment; stark; plain
the naked facts
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unaided by any optical instrument, such as a telescope or microscope (esp in the phrase the naked eye )
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with no defence, protection, or shield
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(usually foll by of) stripped or destitute
naked of weapons
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(of the seeds of gymnosperms) not enclosed in a pericarp
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(of flowers) lacking a perianth
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(of stems) lacking leaves and other appendages
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(of animals) lacking hair, feathers, scales, etc
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law
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unsupported by authority or financial or other consideration
a naked contract
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lacking some essential condition to render valid; incomplete
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Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of naked
before 900; Middle English naked ( e ), Old English nacod; cognate with Dutch naakt, German nackt, Gothic naqths; akin to Old Norse nakinn, Latin nūdus, Greek gymnós, Sanskrit nagnás
Explanation
If you have no clothes on, you're naked. Likewise, things that are uncovered or unhidden, like a bare tree, are also naked. Naked people are nude, and naked animals are missing their hair or fur. When piles of snow melt in the spring, they leave naked fields and sidewalks. If your white walls don't have any pictures or mirrors hanging on them, they'll look naked too. If you don't try to hide your sorrow, you'll show naked emotio. And, finally, to see without the aid of glasses or a microscope is called using "the naked eye."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“We humans may be naked apes,” he writes, but “we are also in many ways featherless crows.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
“I’ll go find somewhere that my kids will not have to see naked zombies,” he said, in a comment that was cheered on and seconded by his online army.
From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026
In humans and mice, cGAS can interfere with some forms of DNA repair, but the naked mole rat version appears to help cells repair DNA damage more effectively.
From Science Daily • May 10, 2026
As scientists continue to learn more about these microscopic organisms, one message is becoming clear: something largely invisible to the naked eye could have a much bigger impact on global health than previously thought.
From Science Daily • May 2, 2026
Swore he’d rather go naked than wear some other kid’s rags.
From Full of Beans by Jennifer L. Holm
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
