Word forms: comparative barer, superlative barest, 3rd person singular presenttense bares, present participle baring, past tense, past participle bared
1. adjective
If a part of your body is bare, it is not covered by any clothing.
She was wearing only a thin robe over a flimsy nightdress, and her feet were bare.
She had bare arms and a bare neck.
2. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
A bare surface is not covered or decorated with anything.
They would have liked bare wooden floors throughout the house.
3. adjective
If a tree or a branch is bare, it has no leaves on it.
...an old, twisted tree, its bark shaggy, many of its limbs brittle and bare.
Synonyms: leafless More Synonyms of bare
4. adjective
If a room, cupboard, or shelf is bare, it is empty.
His fridge was bare apart from three very withered tomatoes.
He led me through to a bare, draughty interviewing room.
Synonyms: empty, wanting, mean, lacking More Synonyms of bare
5. adjective
An area of ground that is bare has no plants growing on it.
That's probably the most bare, bleak, barren and inhospitable island I've ever seen.
6. adjective
If someone gives you the bare facts or the barest details of something, they tell you only the most basic and important things.
Newspaper reporters were given nothing but the bare facts by the Superintendent incharge of the investigation.
Synonyms: plain, hard, simple, cold More Synonyms of bare
7. adjective
If you talk about the bare minimum or the bare essentials, you mean the very least that is necessary.
The army would try to hold the western desert with a bare minimum of forces.
These are the bare essentials you'll need to dress your baby during the first fewmonths.
8. adjective
Bare is used in front of an amount to emphasize how small it is.
[emphasis]
Sales are growing for premium wines, but at a bare 2 percent a year.
9. verb
If you bare something, you uncover it and show it.
[written]
Walsh bared his teeth in a grin. [VERB noun]
10. bare bones
11.
See with one's bare hands
12.
See to lay something bare
13.
See lay sth bare
14.
See to bare one's soul
More Synonyms of bare
bare in British English1
(bɛə)
adjective
1.
unclothed; exposed: used esp of a part of the body
2.
without the natural, conventional, or usual covering or clothing
a bare tree
3.
lacking appropriate furnishings, etc
a bare room
4.
unembellished; simple
the bare facts
5. (prenomial)
just sufficient; mere
he earned the bare minimum
6. with one's bare hands
verb
7. (transitive)
to make bare; uncover; reveal
Derived forms
bareness (ˈbareness)
noun
Word origin
Old English bær; compare Old Norse berr, Old High German bar naked, Old Slavonic bosǔ barefoot
bare in British English2
(bɛə)
verb
archaic a past tense of bear1
bare in American English1
(bɛr)
adjectiveWord forms: ˈbarer or ˈbarest
1.
a.
without the natural or customary covering
bare wooden floors
b.
without clothing; naked
bare legs
2.
without equipment, supplies, or furnishings; empty
a bare room, a bare larder
3.
without embellishment; unadorned; simple; plain
the bare facts
4.
without tools or weapons
obsolete except in bare hands
5.
threadbare
6.
no more than; mere
a bare subsistence wage
verb transitiveWord forms: bared or ˈbaring
7.
to make bare; uncover; strip; expose
SIMILAR WORDS: strip
Idioms:
lay bare
SYNONYMY NOTE: bare1, in this comparison, implies the absence of the conventional or appropriate covering[bare legs, bareheaded]; naked implies the absence of clothing, either entirely or from some part, and connotesa revealing of the body [a naked chest]; nude, which is somewhat euphemistic for , naked, is commonly applied to the undraped human figure in art; , bald suggests a lack of natural covering, esp. of hair on the head; , barren implies a lack of natural covering, esp. vegetation, and connotes destitution andfruitlessness [barren lands]
Derived forms
bareness (ˈbareness)
noun
Word origin
ME bar < OE bær < IE *bhoso-s < ? base *bhes-, to rub off > sand
bare in American English2
(bɛr)
verb transitive, verb intransitive
archaic pt. of
bear1
More idioms containing
bare
with your bare hands
the bare bones
bare your soul to someone
Examples of 'bare' in a sentence
bare
The irony is that models and fashion editors are wearing them with bare legs in freezing conditions.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It is claimed that she then bared her own chest to make the point.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
This system has been simplified to a bare minimum.
Smithsonian Mag (2017)
Bare walls can make the garden feel as though it's closing in.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Now, though, he sat on the other side of a desk from me in a bare room adjoining the cell block.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
He said that a man had climbed on to a neighbour's car and in through an open window in his bare feet, leaving footprints on the roof.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
When the nation arrived at hard times the cupboard was bare.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
He showed me into a bare room and left.
Marsden, Philip The Crossing-Place (1993)
We emerged into a vast chamber walled with bare iron.
Baxter, Stephen Anti-Ice (1993)
They are more easily detected in winter when the trees are bare.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
What would you throw together from a fridge with only bare essentials in it?
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
To win two is the bare minimum.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
These have smothered the bare branches in my garden during the past couple of months.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
They lay a single egg that hatches directly on to the bare rock.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
His bare foot then slammed on to the upturned key.
The Sun (2013)
So would you dare to bare your body hair?
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
The trouble is that the cupboard is now bare.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
My parents were looking at bare walls.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
The trees are still bare but the leaves will be coming.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Time to grin and bare it?
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Such was the potential danger that she was assigned a bare room in a heavily protected compound and given a flak jacket.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
You have two defensive tricks, but a bare hand offensively.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
There's only so much bare chest you can show.
The Sun (2014)
Without her, the stage is too bleak and bare.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
After a few nights eating ready meals, the fridge is bare.
Joanna Blythman Bad Food Britain (2006)
In other languages
bare
British English: bare /bɛə/ ADJECTIVE
naked If a part of your body is bare, it is not covered by any clothes.
His feet were bare.
American English: bare
Arabic: مَكْشُوف
Brazilian Portuguese: despido
Chinese: 赤裸的
Croatian: gol
Czech: nahý
Danish: bar nøgen
Dutch: bloot
European Spanish: desnudo
Finnish: paljas
French: nu
German: entblößt
Greek: γυμνός
Italian: nudo
Japanese: むき出しの
Korean: 가리지 않은
Norwegian: bar
Polish: nagi
European Portuguese: despido
Romanian: dezgolit
Russian: голый
Latin American Spanish: desnudo
Swedish: bar naken
Thai: เปลือยเปล่า
Turkish: çıplak
Ukrainian: голий
Vietnamese: trần trần trụi
British English: bare /bɛə/ VERB
If you bare something, you show it.
...a cat with bared teeth.
American English: bare
Arabic: يَكْشِفُ عَنْ
Brazilian Portuguese: arreganhar
Chinese: 露出
Croatian: ogoliti
Czech: odhalit
Danish: blotte
Dutch: ontbloten
European Spanish: enseñar
Finnish: paljastaa
French: dénuder
German: entblößen
Greek: γυμνώνω
Italian: scoprire
Japanese: むき出しにする
Korean: 드러내다
Norwegian: blottlegge
Polish: obnażyć
European Portuguese: arreganhar
Romanian: a expune
Russian: обнажать
Latin American Spanish: descubrir
Swedish: blotta frilägga
Thai: ทำให้โล่ง เปิดเผยออกมา
Turkish: açığa çıkarmak
Ukrainian: оголяти
Vietnamese: cởi bỏ
British English: bare /bɛə/ ADJECTIVE
empty If something is bare, it has nothing on top of it or inside it.
The cupboard was bare.
American English: bare
Arabic: خاوٍ
Brazilian Portuguese: vazio
Chinese: 空的
Croatian: prazan
Czech: holý
Danish: tom
Dutch: leeg
European Spanish: desnudo
Finnish: tyhjä
French: librevide
German: leer
Greek: απογυμνωμένος
Italian: vuoto
Japanese: 空っぽの
Korean: 벌거벗은
Norwegian: tom
Polish: pusty
European Portuguese: descoberto
Romanian: gol
Russian: пустой
Latin American Spanish: descubierto
Swedish: bar
Thai: ว่างเปล่า
Turkish: boş
Ukrainian: порожній
Vietnamese: trống rỗng
All related terms of 'bare'
bare-ass
naked ; undressed
bare soil
Soil is the substance on the surface of the earth in which plants grow.
lay bare
to reveal or explain
bare-assed
naked ; undressed
bare-bones
The bare bones of something are its most basic parts or details .
bare-faced
You use bare-faced to describe someone's behaviour when you want to emphasize that they do not care that they are behaving wrongly.
bare owner
a person who has bare ownership of a property
bare patch
A patch on a surface is a part of it which is different in appearance from the area around it.
bare-knuckle
without boxing gloves
bare property
ownership of a piece of property without the right to use and derive profit from that property
bare ownership
ownership of a piece of property without the right to use and derive profit from that property
lay sth bare
If you lay bare something or someone, you reveal or expose them.
bare necessities
A necessity is something that you must have in order to live properly or do something.
the bare bones
the most basic parts or details of something
under bare poles
(of a sailing vessel ) with no sails set
to bare one's soul
If you bare your soul , you tell someone your most secret thoughts and feelings.
to lay something bare
If you lay something bare , you uncover it completely so that it can then be seen.
with one's bare hands
If someone does something with their bare hands , they do it without using any weapons or tools.
with your bare hands
without using any weapons or tools
bare your soul to someone
to tell someone all the thoughts and feelings that are most important to you
Chinese translation of 'bare'
bare
(bɛəʳ)
adj
(= naked)[body, feet]裸露的 (luǒlù de)
(= not covered)[rock, floor]光秃(禿)的 (guāngtū de)
(= empty)[cupboard, shelf, room]空的 (kōng de)
[minimum, essentials]基本的 (jīběn de)
vt
(= reveal)[one's body, teeth]露出 (lùchū)
with one's bare hands赤手空拳 (chì shǒu kōng quán)
to bare one's soul诉(訴)说(說)衷肠(腸) (sùshuō zhōngcháng)
1 (adjective)
Definition
unclothed: used esp. of a part of the body
He seemed unaware that he was bare.
Synonyms
naked
They stripped him naked.
I was lying naked on a sheet of black plastic.
nude
a picture of some nude men sitting in a sauna
We are not allowed to perform nude on stage.
stripped
exposed
Skin cancer is most likely to occur on exposed parts of the body.
uncovered
shorn
undressed
Fifteen minutes later he was undressed and in bed.
divested
denuded
in the raw (informal)
disrobed
unclothed
buck naked (slang)
unclad
scuddy (slang)
without a stitch on (informal)
in the bare scud (Scottish, slang)
naked as the day you were born (informal)
Opposites
covered
,
dressed
,
clothed
,
clad
,
attired
2 (adjective)
Definition
without the natural, conventional, or usual covering
bare wooden floors
Synonyms
simple
She's shunned Armani for a simple blouse and jeans.
basic
the extremely basic hotel room
stripped
severe
wearing her felt hats and severe grey suits
plain
a plain grey stone house, distinguished by its unspoilt simplicity
Her dress was plain, but it hung well on her.
spare
stark
the stark, white, characterless fireplace in the drawing room
austere
The church was austere and simple.
spartan
unadorned
The room is typically simple and unadorned.
unfussy
unvarnished
The full unvarnished truth about the Duke should be made public.
unembellished
unornamented
unpatterned
bare-bones
Opposites
adorned
3 (adjective)
Definition
lacking appropriate furnishings, etc.
a bare, draughty interviewing room
Synonyms
empty
Without my friends my life would be lonely and empty.
wanting
I feel as if something important is wanting in my life.
mean
lacking
deserted
a deserted town
vacant
They came upon a vacant house.
void
scarce
Food was scarce and expensive.
barren
the Tibetan landscape of the high barren mountains
uninhabited
an uninhabited island in the North Pacific
unoccupied
The house was unoccupied at the time of the explosion.
scanty
So far, what scanty evidence we have points to two subjects.
unfurnished
Opposites
full
,
abundant
,
plentiful
,
well-stocked
,
profuse
4 (adjective)
a bare landscape
Synonyms
desolate
a desolate, barren place
dry
an infuriating list of dry facts and dates
waste
Yarrow can be found growing wild on waste ground.
empty
The room was bare and empty.
desert
the desert wastes of Mexico
unproductive
increasingly unproductive land
unfruitful
5 (adjective)
Definition
simple
Reporters were given nothing but the bare facts.
Synonyms
plain
It was plain to me that he was lying.
hard
He wanted more hard evidence.
simple
The simple truth is that experts haven't a clue.
cold
basic
essential
obvious
It's obvious that he doesn't like me.
sheer
patent
This was a patent lie.
evident
He spoke with evident emotion about his ordeal.
stark
The stark truth is that we are paying more now than we ever were.
manifest
cases of manifest injustice
bald
The bald truth is that he's just not happy.
literal
He was saying no more than the literal truth.
overt
Although there is no overt hostility, the two groups do not mix much.
unembellished
6 (adjective)
Definition
just sufficient
a bare minimum of forces
Synonyms
absolute
A sick person needs to have absolute trust in a doctor.
very
the very sound of a telephone ringing evoked fear
simple
His refusal to talk was simple stubbornness.
sheer
acts of sheer desperation
7 (adjective)
an old twisted tree, its bark shaggy, many of its limbs brittle and bare
Synonyms
leafless
Additional synonyms
in the sense of austere
Definition
severely simple or plain
The church was austere and simple.
Synonyms
plain,
simple,
severe,
spare,
harsh,
stark,
bleak,
subdued,
economical,
Spartan,
unadorned,
unornamented,
bare-bones
in the sense of bald
Definition
plain or blunt
The bald truth is that he's just not happy.
Synonyms
plain,
direct,
simple,
straight,
frank,
severe,
bare,
straightforward,
blunt,
rude,
outright,
downright,
forthright,
unadorned,
unvarnished,
straight from the shoulder
in the sense of barren
the Tibetan landscape of the high barren mountains