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Meaning & use

stark

adjective·Academic

Last updated

UK/stɑːk/
US/stɑːrk/

Meanings

  1. adjectivecomparable

    Bare, plain and harsh to look at, with nothing to soften the appearance.

    Grammar: Describes places or surroundings: a stark landscape.

    Patterns

    • a stark landscape
    • stark white

    The desert was a stark, empty landscape.

    The room had stark white walls and no pictures.

    A stark winter light filled the hall.

  2. adjectivebefore a noun

    Very clear and impossible to ignore, especially when two things are completely different or when something unpleasant is shown.

    Grammar: Often used before contrast, reminder, warning or difference.

    Patterns

    • a stark contrast
    • a stark reminder
    • a stark warning

    The two cities are in stark contrast.

    The accident was a stark reminder of the dangers of speeding.

    There is a stark difference between rich and poor neighborhoods.

  3. adjectivebefore a nouninformal

    Complete or total, with nothing left out or hidden.

    Grammar: Used mostly before a few nouns, such as raving or naked: stark naked.

    Patterns

    • stark naked
    • stark raving mad

    The child ran out stark naked from the bath.

    The plan sounded stark raving mad.

    She told the stark truth about what had happened.

Word forms

comparativestarker
superlativestarkest

Common combinations

stark contrast
His quiet style is in stark contrast to his brother's.
stark reminder
The storm was a stark reminder of nature's power.
stark choice
Voters face a stark choice between two plans.
stark reality
Facing the stark reality, she sold the business.
stark warning
Scientists issued a stark warning about water shortages.

Synonyms and how they differ

bleak
Bleak adds a feeling of hopelessness or cold, while stark simply stresses barrenness or bluntness.
austere
Austere describes strict simplicity chosen on purpose, for example in a way of living, whereas stark can be harsh by chance.
harsh
Harsh focuses on roughness or severity, and stark focuses on clearness and bareness.
glaring
Glaring means obvious and impossible to miss, often in a negative way, as in a glaring error.

Opposites

subtlesoft

Word family

starkly adverb
in a bare or very clear way
starkness noun
the quality of being bare or severe
starkers adjective
a British informal word meaning completely naked

Commonly confused: stark or stork?

stark vs stork

A stork is a large bird, and it only sounds somewhat like stark.

Practice

The cozy cottage stood in ___ contrast to the cold concrete tower beside it.

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