nude 1 of 2

adjective

ˈnüd How to pronounce nude (audio)
Definition of nudenext
as in naked
lacking or shed of clothing Picasso's paintings of nude art models

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

nude

2 of 2

noun

as in nudity
the state of having no clothes on one's body the artist painted some models in the nude

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective nude differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of nude are bald, bare, barren, and naked. While all these words mean "deprived of naturally or conventionally appropriate covering," nude applies especially to the unclothed human figure.

a nude model posing for art students

In what contexts can bald take the place of nude?

While in some cases nearly identical to nude, bald implies actual or seeming absence of natural covering and may suggest a conspicuous bareness.

a bald mountain peak

When is bare a more appropriate choice than nude?

While the synonyms bare and nude are close in meaning, bare implies the removal of what is additional, superfluous, ornamental, or dispensable.

an apartment with bare walls

When can barren be used instead of nude?

The meanings of barren and nude largely overlap; however, barren often suggests aridity or impoverishment or sterility.

barren plains

When would naked be a good substitute for nude?

The synonyms naked and nude are sometimes interchangeable, but naked suggests absence of protective or ornamental covering but may imply a state of nature, of destitution, or of defenselessness.

poor half-naked children

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of nude
Adjective
De Ramon wore her hair down for the event with minimal makeup and a nude lipstick. — Erin Wisti, Footwear News, 10 Oct. 2026 He also was briefly shut down after cops discovered a trafficked 13-year-old girl performing nude for customers in 2013. — David Goodhue october 9, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026
Noun
Milky nude The minute there is a chill in the air, most people reach for dark lacquers. — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 18 Sep. 2026 As 93-year-old Roy Blakey faces life-threatening dementia, his niece races to preserve his legacy—as a figure skater, ice show archivist, and gay photographer whose male nudes etched their way into history—all before his final curtain call. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 16 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for nude
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nude
  1. naked
  2. nudity
Adjective
  • And why is Owen Wilson grinning like an awkward schoolboy at Zeus’s naked daughters?
    — Andrea Sachs, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Interior designer Geoffrey Bradfield raised eyebrows at his 80th birthday party at the Lowell Hotel with a group of nearly naked male models body-painted in safari garb.
    — Richard Johnson, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of naked
Noun
  • The nudity is also more gratuitous and the counselors more obnoxious.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
  • What follows is the sequence that earned You Can See Everything its R for graphic nudity.
    — Alex Barasch, Vulture, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of nudity

Phrases Containing nude

Browse Nearby Words

nucleus
nude
nudge
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Cite this Entry

“Nude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nude. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on nude

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about nude

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