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bare-boned

bare-boned

6.1
Being very simple and having only the basic parts
  • adjective
  • /ˈbɛrˌboʊnd/
translation icon : minimalista
  • Also, if this charter school is a success, there is a strong possibility that I will get a raise and more benefits next year (they are keeping the employment packages bare-boned in order to be fiscally conservative since this is their first year in operation).

Examples

  • We have like a very bare bone technical, but it does the job beautifully.

  • Great film, Phil, and as bare-boned as it is, it's great to experience, share, and communicate simplicity.

    Blog text (27)
  • Indeed, everything about the VS-300 was bare-boned:

    Academic text (2003)
  • What that means is you're creating a bare bones version of your program and you're basically building out the steps that will take your client from zero to hero.

  • The designer created a bare-boned website that focused on functionality over embellishment.

  • Her bare-boned approach to cooking emphasizes fresh ingredients without unnecessary additions.

  • This bare-boned manual provides only the essential instructions needed to operate the machine.

Synonyms

simple
vsbare-boned
220 1.0

Plain and without decoration

leans more to intentional minimal design rather than plainness
plain
vsbare-boned
208 1.0

Simple and not decorated or flavored

adds a sense of intentional essentialism beyond ordinary simplicity
bare
vsbare-boned
122 3.5

Only just enough, with no extra things

highlights minimal essentials in a descriptive way rather than stylistic
minimalist
vsbare-boned
16 5.4

Very simple and with few details in art, design, or music

applies the same spareness but in everyday contexts not only art
bare-bones
vsbare-boned
6 4.2

Very simple, with only the basic parts that are needed

is the same idea but presented in a different phrase form
no-frills
vsbare-boned
5 3.8

Simple and basic without extra services or decoration

covers that basic approach while also implying a general minimalist style
stripped-down
vsbare-boned
3 4.8

Has only the basic parts and no extra features

emphasizes the overall essential nature rather than merely cutting extras
unembellished
vsbare-boned
1 5.8

Plain and simple in appearance without extra decoration

focuses more on minimal core elements beyond just removing decoration
vanilla
vsbare-boned
  • Informal
1 3.8

Plain and simple, without special features

suggests deliberate minimal essentials rather than merely bland ordinariness
stripped
vsbare-boned
4.4

Has only basic parts and no extra features

frames the same minimalism but with a slightly broader minimalist sense
without any frills
vsbare-boned
3.8

Simple and plain with no extra things or decorations

stresses essentialism more as a design philosophy than plain simplicity
unfancy
vsbare-boned
3.4

Plain and simple, not expensive or decorated

shifts emphasis toward deliberate minimal essentials rather than plainness

Antonyms

648 5.6

Not simple because it has many connected parts

ornate
  • Literature
26 7.0

Using long, fancy words and complicated sentences that make writing hard to follow

How Minimal

bare-boned
6.1
minimalist
16 5.4
spare
12 3.9
sparse
31 5.0

Surface Forms

bare-boned positive

Morphology

bare-boned = bare + bone (transparent) = bare + bone + d

The adjective is transparently formed from 'bare' + 'bone(s)' with an adjectival -d ending, conveying 'stripped to essentials' in a way learners can infer.

Etymology

The word bare-boned comes from the phrase bare bones, where bare means 'naked' and bones mean the 'structure' of something. So bare-boned describes something shown just in its basic parts, without extra details.