Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Clearly distinguished or delineated.
- adjective Bare, desolate, or unadorned.
- adjective Severe or unmitigated; harsh or grim.
- adjective Complete or utter; extreme.
- adverb Utterly; entirely.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Wholly; entirely; absolutely: used with a few particular adjectives, as stark dead, stark blind, stark drunk, stark mad, stark naked, rarely with other adjectives.
- To make stark, stiff, or rigid, as in death.
- Naked; bare.
- Stiff; rigid, as in death.
- Stubborn; stiff; severe.
- Stout; stalwart; strong; powerful.
- Great; long.
- Entire; perfect; utter; downright; sheer; pure; mere.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective Stiff; rigid.
- adjective obsolete Complete; absolute; full; perfect; entire.
- adjective Strong; vigorous; powerful.
- adjective obsolete Severe; violent; fierce.
- adjective Mere; sheer; gross; entire; downright.
- transitive verb rare To stiffen.
- adverb Wholly; entirely; absolutely; quite.
- adverb wholly naked; quite bare.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb To
stiffen . - adjective obsolete
Hard ,firm ;obdurate . - adjective
Severe ;violent ;fierce (now usually in describing the weather). - adjective archaic
Strong ;vigorous ;powerful . - adjective
Stiff ,rigid . - adjective Hard in appearance;
barren ,desolate . - adjective
Complete ,absolute ,full . - adverb
starkly ; entirely, absolutely
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective devoid of any qualifications or disguise or adornment
- adverb completely
- adjective without qualification; used informally as (often pejorative) intensifiers
- adjective complete or extreme
- adjective providing no shelter or sustenance
- adjective severely simple
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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She heard the slide of his zipper and her heart seized, the pulse skittering in her throat as she gazed up at his hungry face, his expression stark and pained.
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His expression stark, he admitted, “Just two nights ago, I…I almost strangled her to death while I slept.”
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His expression stark, he admitted, “Just two nights ago, I…I almost strangled her to death while I slept.”
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Galbraith's proposal does stand in stark contrast with the rumored position of the fiscal commission.
Job-Creation Idea No. 12: Let The Old Folks Retire Early And Make Way For Young Workers
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"Mr. Reynolds 'opinions are in stark contrast to the core values of the Champaign County Republican Party and are personally offensive to me," party Chairman Jason Barickman told the News-Gazette.
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Stepping closer, Worf appraised her with an expression of stark admiration.
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"Mr. Reynolds 'opinions are in stark contrast to the core values of the Champaign County Republican Party and are personally offensive to me," party Chairman Jason Barickman told the News-Gazette.
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"Mr. Reynolds 'opinions are in stark contrast to the core values of the Champaign County Republican Party and are personally offensive to me," party Chairman Jason Barickman told the News-Gazette.
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"Mr. Reynolds 'opinions are in stark contrast to the core values of the Champaign County Republican Party and are personally offensive to me," party Chairman Jason Barickman told the News-Gazette.
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"Mr. Reynolds 'opinions are in stark contrast to the core values of the Champaign County Republican Party and are personally offensive to me," party Chairman Jason Barickman told the News-Gazette.
whichbe commented on the word stark
A contranym: both fullness ("completeness, exemplary") and emptiness ("lacking").
August 2, 2008