naked

adjective

na·​ked ˈnā-kəd How to pronounce naked (audio)
especially Southern ˈne-kəd
Synonyms of nakednext
1
: not covered by clothing : nude
2
: devoid of customary or natural covering : bare: such as
a
: not enclosed in a scabbard
a naked sword
b
: not provided with a shade
a naked light
c
of a plant or one of its parts : lacking pubescence or enveloping or subtending parts
smooth, naked stems
d
: lacking foliage or vegetation
a naked hillside
e
of an animal or one of its parts : lacking an external covering (as of hair, feathers, or shell)
naked amoebas
3
a
: scantily supplied or furnished
a drab, naked room
b
: lacking embellishment : unadorned
hands naked of rings
naked walls
4
a
: unarmed, defenseless
unwilling to hurt a naked man
b
American football : marked by a lack of protection or coverage by blockers
a naked bootleg by the quarterback
5
: lacking confirmation or support
naked contracts
6
: devoid of concealment or disguise
the naked truth
naked aggression
7
: unaided by any optical device or instrument
the naked eye
8
: not backed by the writer's ownership of the commodity contract or security
selling naked options
nakedly adverb
nakedness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for naked

bare, naked, nude, bald, barren mean deprived of naturally or conventionally appropriate covering.

bare implies the removal of what is additional, superfluous, ornamental, or dispensable.

an apartment with bare walls

naked suggests absence of protective or ornamental covering but may imply a state of nature, of destitution, or of defenselessness.

poor half-naked children

nude applies especially to the unclothed human figure.

a nude model posing for art students

bald implies actual or seeming absence of natural covering and may suggest a conspicuous bareness.

a bald mountain peak

barren often suggests aridity or impoverishment or sterility.

barren plains

Examples of naked in a Sentence

He was naked from the waist up. had recurrent nightmares about being naked in public
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Multiply that by all the hairs on your head, and your mop suddenly looks thicker to the naked eye. Adam Hurly, Robb Report, 2 Jan. 2026 Don’t expect the freezing temperatures to stem her penchant for naked dressing, though. Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 2 Jan. 2026 Young was an innocent social worker who was handcuffed, naked, in her apartment during a wrongful CPD raid in 2019. Cbs Chicago Team, CBS News, 2 Jan. 2026 It was followed in mid-October by Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon), which reached the cusp of naked-eye visibility and, to a lesser extent, Comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN). Jamie Carter, Space.com, 2 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for naked

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English nacod; akin to Old High German nackot naked, Latin nudus, Greek gymnos

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of naked was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Naked.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/naked. Accessed 6 Jan. 2026.

Kids Definition

naked

adjective
na·​ked ˈnā-kəd How to pronounce naked (audio)
especially Southern ˈnek-əd
1
: having no clothes on
2
a
: lacking a usual or natural covering (as of leaves, plants, or feathers)
naked hills
b
: not enclosed in a case or covering
a naked sword
c
: lacking protective covering parts (as membranes, scales, or shells)
a naked seed
3
: plain entry 2 sense 2, unadorned
the naked truth
4
: not aided by artificial means
seen by the naked eye
nakedly adverb
nakedness noun

Medical Definition

naked

adjective
na·​ked ˈnā-kəd How to pronounce naked (audio)
1
: lacking some natural external covering (as of hair or myelin)
used of the animal body or one of its parts
naked nerve endings
viroids are naked: the RNA strand is not encapsulated in a protein coatRoger Lewin
2
: unaided by any optical device or instrument
visible to the naked eye

Legal Definition

naked

adjective
na·​ked
1
: characterized by the lack of an interest or of exclusive control, use, or possession
2
: not backed by the option writer's ownership of the commodity, the contract for the commodity, or the security

More from Merriam-Webster on naked

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!