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adj

bare

beh-uh
adj
1
Not covered by clothing, decoration, or any other covering; exposed.
"She walked across the hot sand in bare feet."
"The walls were left bare after they took down all the pictures."
2
Just enough and no more; the minimum.
"He packed only the bare essentials for the trip."
"They gave the bare minimum of information required."
verb
1
To uncover or reveal something.
"The dog bared its teeth as a warning."

How to Use Bare

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishUncovered, empty, or reduced to the essential minimum.

Common mistake

Don't confuse with "bear" (the animal, or "to carry/endure") — they sound identical but mean completely different things.

Easily confused with
Common pairings
bare feet bare minimum bare walls bare essentials

Word Forms

barer comparative, bared past tense, bares plural, Bares plural, bares singular, barest superlative

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

She walked across the hot sand in _____ feet.

Etymology

From Old English bær ("bare, naked, open"), a very old Germanic word found in similar forms across German, Dutch, and Scandinavian languages.

Antonyms

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Rhymes for bare

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Definitions: FreeDict original editorial