bare
not covered by clothes
Not covered by clothes or shoes, especially on the body.
[someone]'s [body part] is bare
- He walked across the cold kitchen floor in bare feet.
- Please take off your shoes; bare feet only on the tatami mats.
- She pulled the blanket up to cover her bare shoulders.
- The child stood there with bare legs, shivering in the wind.
- Workers must not touch the chemicals with bare hands.
- My feet are bare on the sand.
- He sleeps with his arms bare.
- Do not pick up the glass with your bare hands.
- The baby is lying on the bed, bare from the waist up.
- I like to walk in the house with bare feet.
empty or without decoration
Empty or plain, with nothing extra on it or in it.
[a place/thing] is bare
- The room was completely bare except for a single chair.
- In winter, the trees stand with bare branches against the grey sky.
- The kitchen shelves were bare after the holiday party.
- He painted the bare walls white to make the space feel bigger.
- The floor was bare concrete, cold and uninviting.
- The room is bare, with no pictures.
- In winter the garden looks bare.
- Our fridge is bare; we need to buy food.
- She sat on a bare wooden floor.
- The walls were bare and looked boring.
only the basic necessities
Having only what you really need, and nothing more.
the bare [essentials/minimum/necessities]
- We only had enough money for the bare essentials on the trip.
- The report gives a bare outline of the plan, without any detail.
- The camp offered only the bare minimum of comfort.
- Many families are struggling to afford even the bare necessities.
- His apartment was furnished to the bare minimum, just a bed and a table.
- We packed only the bare essentials for the weekend.
- Some people in the city cannot buy even the bare necessities.
- The room has the bare minimum: a bed and a small table.
- The teacher gave us a bare outline of the course.
- They live with only the bare essentials to save money.
just enough, only just
Only just enough or only a little more than a certain number or level.
a bare [number/amount]
- The bill passed with a bare majority of two votes.
- We had a bare five minutes to catch the train.
- Profits rose by a bare 1% last year.
- He offered a bare apology before changing the subject.
- The article presented only the bare facts, without comment.
- They won with a bare majority in the election.
- We arrived with a bare two minutes to spare.
- Sales increased by a bare 3% this year.
- The news report gave only the bare facts.
- She paid a bare ten dollars for the old chair.
to uncover or expose
To take away a cover, or to show something that is usually not seen or not shared.
to bare [something]
- The dog bared its teeth and growled at the stranger.
- He bared his chest for the doctor to examine the scar.
- In the interview she finally bared her soul and spoke about her childhood.
- The investigation bared the corruption at the highest levels of government.
- He refused to bare his head in the sacred building.
- The angry dog bared its teeth.
- He bared his arm so the nurse could give the injection.
- She bared her soul to her best friend.
- The report bared many problems in the company.
- He did not want to bare his head in public.
without expected addition
Used in some special fields to mean that something does not have the usual extra part that it often has.
a bare [technical term]
- In English, verbs after "can" take the bare infinitive, without "to".
- The grammar book contrasts the bare noun with the noun phrase that has a determiner.
- Under property law, he holds only a bare title without possession.
- After the modal verb "must", we use the bare infinitive.
- The teacher explained what a bare infinitive is.
- This is a more technical use of the word "bare".
slang: very, a lot of
Informal British slang word used like "very" or "a lot of" before an adjective or a plural noun.
bare [adjective] / bare [plural noun]
- That exam was bare hard, man.
- There were bare people at the party last night.
- I'm bare tired after that shift.
- She's got bare money now she started that new job.
- The show was bare jokes from start to finish.
- In London slang, people say "bare cold" to mean "very cold".
- He said the club was "bare full" last night.
- My friend uses "bare" to mean "a lot of" in his messages.
- "Bare" in this way is slang and not for formal writing.
- They had bare problems with the train delays.
- Base: bare
- Comparative: barer
- Superlative: barest
- Base: bare
- 3rd Person Singular: bares
- Present Participle: baring
- Past: bared
bare it all
1to reveal everything
To show everything, especially your body without clothes, or to tell all your private information.
- The actor bared it all in the new film.
- In the interview she bared it all about her difficult childhood.
- He isn't the type to bare it all on social media.
in bare feet
1without shoes or socks
Walking or standing with no shoes or socks on your feet.
- She likes to walk on the grass in bare feet.
- Guests are asked to come into the house in bare feet or socks.
- He crossed the hot sand in bare feet and burned his soles.
lay bare
1to reveal something hidden
To show something that was hidden or secret, especially a problem, truth, or feeling.
- The investigation laid bare years of corruption.
- Her diary entries lay bare her deepest fears.
- The crisis laid bare the weaknesses in the healthcare system.
the bare essentials
1only the most necessary things
Only the small number of things that you really need in a situation.
- We packed only the bare essentials for our hiking trip.
- In an emergency bag, you should keep the bare essentials.
- The refugees arrived with nothing but the bare essentials.
the bare facts
1only the basic true information
The simple and most important information about something, without extra details or opinions.
- The article presents only the bare facts of the case.
- Give me the bare facts; we can discuss opinions later.
- The lawyer began by explaining the bare facts to the jury.
the bare minimum
1the smallest amount that is enough
The smallest amount that is just enough for something, with nothing extra.
- He only does the bare minimum at work and still expects a promotion.
- To pass the course, you can't just do the bare minimum.
- They cut costs down to the bare minimum during the crisis.
the bare necessities
1the most basic needs
The very basic things you need to live or to manage in a situation, with nothing extra.
- Many people in the region are struggling to afford the bare necessities.
- On a desert island, you quickly learn to live with the bare necessities.
- Their budget allows only for the bare necessities of life.
to the bare bones
1reduce to only basics
To cut or reduce something until only the most basic and necessary parts are left.
- The company cut costs to the bare bones during the recession.
- We need to strip this plan down to the bare bones.
- The director reduced the script to the bare bones of the story.
with bare hands
1using only your hands
To do something using only your hands, without tools, machines, or weapons.
- He tried to catch the fish with his bare hands.
- You should never handle broken glass with bare hands.
- The hero in the story fought the wolf with his bare hands.
bare bones
1Only basic essential parts
Only the most important parts, with nothing extra.
- The report gives only the bare bones of what happened.
- We need more than just the bare bones of an idea.
bare bones
2only the basic structure
The most simple, basic form of something, with all extra details removed.
- The report gives only the bare bones of the new policy.
- We need more than the bare bones of an idea before we invest.
- He lives a bare-bones lifestyle to save money.
bare one's soul
1share deepest feelings honestly
To tell someone your deepest thoughts and feelings honestly.
- He bared his soul to her about his fears.
- She decided to bare her soul in her memoir.
bare one's soul
2to share deepest feelings
To tell someone your very private thoughts and feelings, often about painful things.
- He finally bared his soul to his therapist.
- It's not easy to bare your soul to a stranger.
- In the letter she bares her soul to her oldest friend.