# bald

/ˈbɔɫd/ (US) · /bˈɔːld/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/bald
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. no hair

adjective · CEFR A2

having little or no hair on the head.

For teachers: lacking hair on the scalp, either naturally or by shaving.

- He decided to shave his head completely once he started going bald.
- The actor, famously bald for most of his career, occasionally wore a wig when a specific historical role demanded a full head of hair.

### 2. worn-out tyre

adjective · CEFR B2

used to describe a car tyre that has lost its grip because it is worn down.

For teachers: describing a pneumatic tyre whose tread has been worn away through use.

- The mechanic told me I needed new tyres because the old ones were bald.
- Driving on bald tyres in heavy rain is exceptionally dangerous, as the lack of tread prevents the rubber from clearing water effectively.

### 3. plain or direct

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal

simple and direct, without extra details or attempts to be polite.

For teachers: unembellished, blunt, or lacking supporting detail; often used of statements or facts.

- The report was a bald statement of the facts with no explanation.
- The witness provided a bald account of the incident, refusing to offer any personal interpretation or emotional context to the jury.

### 4. to lose hair

verb · CEFR B2

to start losing the hair on your head.

For teachers: to undergo the process of becoming hairless on the scalp.

- He noticed he was balding when he looked at photos from a few years ago.
- Many men find that they begin balding in their late twenties, often starting with a receding hairline or a thinning crown.

Usage: The verb is intransitive and often used in the continuous form.

### 5. mountain top

noun · CEFR C2 · American English · Dialect

a mountain top that has no trees, even though the weather is warm enough for them.

For teachers: a mountain summit or crest that lacks forest growth despite a climate conducive to it.

- We hiked up to the bald to see the view of the valley below.
- The Southern Appalachians are famous for these grassy balds, which offer panoramic views that are otherwise obscured by dense forest canopy.

## Examples

- He started to bald in his early twenties.
- Many men in his family began to bald prematurely, so he was not surprised when his own hair started thinning.
- The actor chose to shave his head entirely rather than let the audience watch him slowly bald over the course of the three-season television series.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.