Standard Lemma guide

denude

verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /dɪˈnjuːd/
  • rhymes with -uːd
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH0 N UW1 D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To divest of all covering; to make bare or naked; to strip.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • He denuded himself of his clothes.
  • Widespread deforestation has led to lands being denuded.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To remove (something or someone) of their possessions or assets.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Their property was seized, denuded and confiscated.
  • The service was denuded of its capacity to deliver.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To strip (a mountain, volcano, or other geological formation) by erosion of outer layers so as to lay bare the inner structure.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: geography, geology, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

lay bare

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • denude a forest

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bare, denudate, strip

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: clear

Narrower terms: defoliate, burn off

History

Etymology

From Middle French dénuder, from Latin dēnūdāre, from dē- + nūdus (“bare”).

Across languages

Translations

16 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: оголвам (ogolvam) — divest of all covering
  • Chinese Mandarin: 剥光 — divest of all covering
  • Chinese Mandarin: 剥夺 (bōduó) — divest of all covering
  • Czech: obnažit — divest of all covering
  • Czech: zbavit porostu — divest of all covering
  • Ancient Greek: γυμνόω (gumnóō) — divest of all covering
  • Norwegian: avkle — divest of all covering
  • Norwegian: kle av — divest of all covering
  • Polish: obnażać — divest of all covering
  • Polish: obnażyć — divest of all covering
  • Russian: обнажать (obnažatʹ) — divest of all covering
  • Russian: лиша́ть (lišátʹ) — divest of all covering
  • Spanish: desnudar — divest of all covering
  • Turkish: çıplaklaştırmak — divest of all covering
  • Czech: zbavit — remove of possessions
  • Czech: odebrat — remove of possessions