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stark

/stɑrk/

/stɑk/

IPA guide

Other forms: starks; starker; starkest

Stark means "complete or extreme," like the stark contrast between your music taste — punk and weird metal — and your mom's, with all her 1950's doo-wop favorites.

In describing a place, stark means "providing no shelter or sustenance." A barren desert or a room with no furniture or curtains is stark. It can also mean "severe, stern, or austere," like the stark beauty of the rocky cliffs in the west of Ireland. Stark can also be used to mean "totally." If you are called stark, raving mad, there's no question about it: you are acting completely crazy.

Definitions of stark
  1. adjective
    severely simple
    “a stark interior”
    synonyms: austere, severe, stern
    plain
    not elaborate or elaborated; simple
  2. adjective
    complete or extreme
    stark poverty”
    “a stark contrast”
    synonyms:
    immoderate
    beyond reasonable limits
  3. adjective
    providing no shelter or sustenance
    “a stark landscape”
    synonyms: bare, barren, bleak, desolate
    inhospitable
    unfavorable to life or growth
  4. adjective
    devoid of any qualifications or disguise or adornment
    “facing the stark reality of the deadline”
    synonyms: blunt, crude
    unconditional, unconditioned
    not conditional
  5. adjective
    without qualification; used informally as (often pejorative) intensifiers
    synonyms: arrant, complete, consummate, double-dyed, everlasting, gross, perfect, pure, sodding, staring, thoroughgoing, unadulterated, utter
    unmitigated
    not diminished or moderated in intensity or severity; sometimes used as an intensifier
  6. adverb
    completely
    stark mad”
    “mouth stark open”
Pronunciation
US

/stɑrk/

UK

/stɑk/

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