English · Word Candidate

stark

/stɑɹk/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: starker · starkest

Sense 1

Meaning · English

Severe; violent; fierce (now usually in describing the weather).

Adjective

Examples

Of all the transitions brought about on the Earth’s surface by temperature change, the melting of ice into water is the starkest. It is binary. And for the land beneath, the air above and the life around, it changes everything.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

Stiff, rigid.

Adjective

Examples

His heauie head, deuoide of carefull carke, / Whose sences all were straight benumbd and starke.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

Starkly; entirely, absolutely.

Adverb

Examples

He's gone stark, staring mad.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Meaning · English

The language spoken in the Ender's Game series, which is nearly identical to American English.

Noun

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “stark” mean?

Severe; violent; fierce (now usually in describing the weather).

Is “stark” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.