stark

adjective

/stɑːk/

/stɑːrk/

(comparative starker, superlative starkest)

You can also use more stark and most stark.

jump to other results

unpleasant; real, and impossible to avoid严酷的；赤裸裸的；真实而无法回避的 synonym bleak
- The author paints a stark picture of life in a prison camp.作者描绘出一幅冷酷而真实的战俘营生活画面。
- The government faced a stark choice between civil war and martial law.政府面临残酷的选择，内战还是戒严。
- The remains of the building stand as a stark reminder of the fire.房子的断壁残垣是那场大火无情的见证。
- He now faces the stark reality of life in prison.他现在要面对狱中生活的严酷现实了。
- The stark truth is that there is not enough money left.明摆着的事实是剩下的钱已经不够了。
- The stark fact is that even with more time, we still couldn’t raise enough money.严峻的事实是，即使有更多的时间，我们仍然无法筹集到足够的资金。
Synonyms plain
plain
- simple
- stark
- bare
- unequivocal
These words all describe statements, often about something unpleasant, that are very clear, not trying to hide anything, and not using more words than necessary.
- plain used for talking about a fact that other people may not like to hear; honest and direct in a way that other people may not like:
  The plain fact is that nobody really knows.事实很明显，没有人真正了解。
- simple [only before noun] used for talking about a fact that other people may not like to hear; very obvious and not complicated by anything else:
  The simple truth is that we just can’t afford it.事实很简单，我们就是付不起。
plain or simple?用 plain 还是 simple？When it is being used to emphasize facts that other people may not like to hear, plain is usually used in the expression the plain fact/truth is that… Simple can be used in this way too, but it can also be used in a wider variety of structures and collocations (such as reason and matter): The problem was due to the simple fact that… • The problem was due to the plain fact that… • for the plain reason that… • It’s a plain matter of… Expressions with simple often suggest impatience with other people’s behaviour.
- stark (rather formal) used for describing an unpleasant fact or difference that is very obvious:用于描述令人不快的事实或区别十分明显、鲜明：
  The stark truth is that there is not enough money left.明摆着的事实是剩下的钱已经不够了。
  The simple/plain truth may be something that some people do not want to hear, but it may be good for them to hear it anyway. The stark truth is something particularly unpleasant and has no good side to it at all.
- bare [only before noun] the most basic or simple, with nothing extra:
  She gave me only the bare facts of the case.她只给我介绍了这个案件的一些基本资料。
- unequivocal (formal) expressing your opinion or intention very clearly and firmly:指表达明确的、毫不含糊的、斩钉截铁的：
  The reply was an unequivocal ‘no’.回答是个干脆利落的“不”字。
Patterns
- the plain/simple/stark/bare/unequivocal truth
- a(n) plain/simple/stark/bare/unequivocal fact/statement
- a(n) plain/simple/unequivocal answer
very different from something in a way that is easy to see（指区别）明显的，鲜明的 synonym clear
- stark differences鲜明的区别
- Social divisions in the city are stark.城市里各社会阶层有明确的分野。
- The good weather was in stark contrast to the storms of previous weeks.这时的好天气和前几个星期的暴风雨形成鲜明的对比。
looking severe and without any colour or decoration毫无修饰的；荒凉的；粗陋的
- I think white would be too stark for the bedroom.我觉得卧室里用白色未免太素了。
- The hills stood stark against the winter sky.在冬日的天空下，小山了无生气。
Extra Examples
- The corridors were stark and uncarpeted.走廊上没有装饰，也没铺地毯。
- The décor was rather stark for my taste.这种装饰对我的口味来说相当呆板。
[only before noun] complete and total完全的；十足的 synonym utter
- The children watched in stark terror.孩子们极端恐惧地看着。

Word OriginOld English stearc ‘unyielding, severe’, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch sterk and German stark ‘strong’.

stark

adverb

/stɑːk/

/stɑːrk/

Idioms

jump to other results

stark naked wearing no clothes一丝不挂；赤裸
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
Stark is used with these adjectives:
naked
See full entry
Word OriginOld English stearc ‘unyielding, severe’, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch sterk and German stark ‘strong’.