bald
Americanadjective
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having little or no hair on the scalp.
a bald head;
a bald person.
-
destitute of some natural growth or covering.
a bald mountain.
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lacking detail; bare; plain; unadorned.
a bald prose style.
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open; undisguised.
a bald lie.
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Zoology. having white on the head.
the bald eagle.
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Automotive. (of a tire) having the tread completely worn away.
verb (used without object)
noun
adjective
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having no hair or fur, esp (of a man) having no hair on all or most of the scalp
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lacking natural growth or covering
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plain or blunt
a bald statement
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bare or simple; unadorned
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Also: baldfaced. (of certain birds and other animals) having white markings on the head and face
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(of a tyre) having a worn tread
Usage
What is a basic definition of bald? Bald describes a person as having no or little hair on their head. Bald also means to lose one’s hair and describes something as being out in the open or not hidden. Bald has several other senses as an adjective and one as a noun.A bald person lacks hair on their head. There are multiple reasons why a person might be bald. For many bald men, becoming bald is the result of a genetic condition known as male pattern baldness, which causes their hair to thin and fall out as they age. A person may be bald because they shave their head or because of chemotherapy, which often causes hair loss all over the body. While animals who don’t have fur or hair could be called bald, hairless is more commonly used.
- Real-life examples: Some examples of famous bald men include basketball player Michael Jordan, singer Sinead O’Connor, and the 14th Dalai Lama.
- Used in a sentence: Chang had hair in his 30s but was completely bald by the time he turned 40.
- Used in a sentence: Phillip began to bald early in life so he decided to start shaving his head.
- Used in a sentence: Fanny said a bald lie when asked why she didn’t go to work.
Other Word Forms
- baldish adjective
- baldly adverb
- baldness noun
- half-bald adjective
- semibald adjective
- semibaldly adverb
- semibaldness noun
Etymology
Origin of bald
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English ball(e)d, equivalent to ball “white spot” (compare Welsh bal, Greek phaliós “having a white spot”) + -ed -ed 3
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Despite suffering from "numerous" bald patches, a torn muzzle, and repairs to both pads on his paws and feet, the Edwardian bear attracted a lot of interest ahead of the sale.
From BBC
For men, it’s mostly caused by the body’s hereditary response to the hormone dihydrotestosterone and can lead to balding.
From MarketWatch
Ravens recently ate the internet-famous bald eagle couple’s two eggs, a sad twist to the nesting season.
From Los Angeles Times
He took off his hat and scratched the top of his bald head.
From Literature
Bermingham, 43, first spotted an injured fox in her garden in October 2024 shivering and bleeding, with bald patches on its tail and signs of mange.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
