naked

[ney-kid]

adjective

1. being without clothing or covering; nude.

   naked children swimming in the lake.

   Synonyms: undressed, uncovered

2. without adequate clothing.

   a naked little beggar.

3. bare of any covering, overlying matter, vegetation, foliage, or the like.

   naked fields.

4. bare, stripped, or destitute (usually followed byof ).

   The trees were suddenly naked of leaves.

   Synonyms: denuded

5. without the customary covering, container, or protection.

   a naked sword;

   a naked flame.

   Synonyms: exposed

6. without carpets, hangings, or furnishings, as rooms or walls.

7. (of the eye, sight, etc.) unassisted by a microscope, telescope, or other instrument.

   visible to the naked eye.

8. defenseless; unprotected; exposed.

   naked to invaders.

   Synonyms: open, unarmed

9. plain; simple; unadorned.

   the naked realities of the matter.

10. not accompanied or supplemented by anything else.

    a naked outline of the facts.

11. exposed to view or plainly revealed.

    the naked threat in the letter;

    a naked vein of coal.

    Synonyms: patent, obvious, manifest, evident, blatant

12. plain-spoken; blunt.

    the naked truth.

    Synonyms: unvarnished, stark, simple

13. Law.,  unsupported, as by authority or consideration.

    a naked promise.

14. Botany.

    1. (of seeds) not enclosed in an ovary.

    2. (of flowers) without a calyx or perianth.

    3. (of stalks, branches, etc.) without leaves.

    4. (of stalks, leaves, etc.) without hairs or pubescence.

15. Zoology.,  having no covering of hair, feathers, shell, etc.

naked

/ ˈneɪkɪd /

adjective

1. having the body completely unclothed; undressed Compare bare 1

2. having no covering; bare; exposed

   a naked flame

3. with no qualification or concealment; stark; plain

   the naked facts

4. unaided by any optical instrument, such as a telescope or microscope (esp in the phrase the naked eye )

5. with no defence, protection, or shield

6. (usually foll by of) stripped or destitute

   naked of weapons

7. (of the seeds of gymnosperms) not enclosed in a pericarp

8. (of flowers) lacking a perianth

9. (of stems) lacking leaves and other appendages

10. (of animals) lacking hair, feathers, scales, etc

11. law

    1. unsupported by authority or financial or other consideration

       a naked contract

    2. lacking some essential condition to render valid; incomplete

Other Word Forms

• nakedness noun
• nakedly adverb
• half-naked adjective
• seminaked adjective
• unnaked adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of naked¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of naked¹

Old English nacod; related to Old High German nackot (German nackt ), Old Norse noktr, Latin nudus

Example Sentences

The new findings, published in the journal Science, could also shed light on why naked mole rats are resistant to a wide range of age-related diseases.

Read more on BBC

Look to the north - you will not need binoculars or a telescope as the shower will be visible to the naked eye.

Read more on BBC

Foreign policy becomes an instrument of naked personal despotism, with favors bestowed on those who burnish the leader’s vanity, and yanked away from those who decline to do so.

Read more on Salon

The trees were sprouting green shoots and to the naked eye appeared healthy — the only sign of life on the side of the street where historic Janes Village homes burned and some neighbors perished.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The suspension of the broadcasts will disrupt viewers peek at the zoo's pandas, lions, elephants and naked mole rats.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• bare 
• defenseless 
• exposed 
• helpless 
• nude