naked

/ˈneɪkɪd/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈneɪkɪd/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈnā-kəd especially Southern ˈne-kəd/ (ame, mw)

naked — adjective

  • nakedpositive
  • more nakedcomparative
  • most nakedsuperlative

1. having no clothes on your body so that your skin is completely visible and uncov

1.形容詞A2
釋義

having no clothes on your body so that your skin is completely visible and uncovered by any clothing

例句

Baby Salma laughed as she ran naked through the sprinkler in the backyard.

predicative use: ran naked

The security camera caught a naked man climbing out of the hotel window at dawn.

同義詞
  • nude

    more formal and artistic; preferred in art, photography, and clinical contexts

  • bare

    used for body parts rather than the whole body (bare feet, bare chest); less likely to be considered inappropriate

  • unclothed

    formal or clinical register; sounds less emotional than 'naked'

反義詞
  • clothed

    wearing clothes; opposite in all contexts

  • dressed

    everyday opposite for a person wearing clothes

文法句型

be + naked

naked + noun

用法筆記

In many social contexts, 'naked' can sound too direct or sexual. 'Nude' is preferred when talking about art, photography, or formal body descriptions. 'Bare' is used for body parts (bare arms) rather than the whole body.

常見錯誤

❌She wore a naked swimsuit to the beach.
✅She wore a revealing swimsuit to the beach.' or 'She went to the beach naked.
💡'naked' describes a person with no clothes, not a piece of clothing.
❌The museum has a collection of naked Greek statues.
✅The museum has a collection of nude Greek statues.
💡'nude' is the preferred term for art and sculpture.

2. with its normal outer layer or surface missing, so that the inside or basic mate

2.形容詞B1
釋義

with its normal outer layer or surface missing, so that the inside or basic material is visible and uncovered

例句

After the fire, only a few naked branches remained on the blackened oak tree.

collocation: naked branches

The garden wall was naked except for the cracked grey paint that was peeling off.

be + naked + except for

同義詞
  • bare

    more common for describing rooms, surfaces, and landscapes; less dramatic than 'naked'

  • uncovered

    neutral term focusing on the absence of a cover rather than exposed material

  • exposed

    suggests something is usually covered but is now visible; often implies risk or vulnerability

反義詞
  • covered

    having its usual outer layer intact

  • wrapped

    enclosed in a covering material

文法句型

naked + noun

be + naked

用法筆記

Commonly describes trees, walls, light bulbs, wires, and other objects whose usual covering (leaves, paint, shade, insulation) is absent. For rooms, buildings, and landscapes, 'bare' is often more natural than 'naked'.

常見錯誤

❌The classroom had naked walls with no decorations.
✅The classroom had bare walls with no decorations.
💡'bare' is more natural than 'naked' for describing rooms and surfaces.

3. a feeling, quality, or fact that is shown or stated in a very direct way, withou

3.形容詞B2
釋義

a feeling, quality, or fact that is shown or stated in a very direct way, without any attempt to hide it or make it seem less extreme

例句

The journalist exposed the naked truth about how the pharmaceutical company hid the test results.

collocation: the naked truth

Layla stared at her ex-husband with naked hatred as he walked past her table.

同義詞
  • undisguised

    formal register; implies the emotion is not hidden despite attempts to conceal it

  • blatant

    stronger and more negative connotation; suggests shamelessness

  • unconcealed

    neutral register; describes something that is simply not hidden, with less emotional force

反義詞
  • hidden

    kept secret or out of sight

  • concealed

    deliberately kept from being seen or known

  • disguised

    made to look like something else to hide the truth

文法句型

naked + noun (abstract)

用法筆記

This sense is restricted to a small set of abstract nouns: truth, ambition, hatred, greed, fear, and attempt. It is not freely combinable with other emotions or qualities. Using it outside these fixed collocations sounds unnatural.

常見錯誤

❌Maria gave a naked opinion about the film.
✅Maria gave an honest opinion about the film.' or 'Maria spoke the naked truth about the film.
💡'naked' before abstract nouns follows fixed patterns; 'honest' is the natural choice for opinions.
❌The report contained naked criticism of the government.
✅The report contained harsh/unrestrained criticism of the government.
💡'naked' does not combine freely with 'criticism'; use 'scathing' or 'unrestrained' instead.

4. completely lacking any protection from physical harm, attack, danger, or negativ

4.形容詞B2
釋義

completely lacking any protection from physical harm, attack, danger, or negative criticism by others

例句

Without a helmet or knee pads, a cyclist is naked against the road's dangers.

naked + against + danger

When the soldiers retreated, the small farming village was left naked to the enemy army.

left + naked + to + threat

同義詞
  • vulnerable

    more common in everyday use; softer than 'naked' and less dramatic

  • defenseless

    emphasises the inability to fight back or protect oneself

  • unprotected

    neutral and straightforward; the most general alternative

  • exposed

    suggests being left open to harm after a protective layer or barrier is removed

反義詞
  • protected

    kept safe from harm or danger

  • defended

    actively guarded against attack

  • shielded

    blocked from harm by a protective barrier

文法句型

be + naked + to + threat

be + naked + against + danger

leave + noun + naked

用法筆記

Often followed by the preposition 'to' (indicating the source of danger) or 'against' (indicating the danger itself). This sense overlaps with sense 2 ('WITHOUT NATURAL COVER') in some physical contexts (e.g. 'naked to the elements'), but differs in focusing on vulnerability and risk rather than missing covering.

常見錯誤

❌The hikers felt naked when they lost the map.
✅The hikers felt lost/exposed when they lost the map.
💡'naked' in this sense means defenseless against a specific threat, not simply lost or confused.
❌The country was naked to the invasion.
✅The country was vulnerable/open to the invasion.' or 'The country was left naked to the invading forces.
💡'naked to' is a fixed, slightly literary pattern; in everyday speech, 'vulnerable to' is more natural.