# stark

> English word · Adjective · IPA /stɑɹk/ · frequency rank #7,065

## Definitions
1. Hard, firm; obdurate.
2. Severe; violent; fierce (now usually in describing the weather).
3. Strong; vigorous; powerful.
4. Stiff, rigid.
5. Plain in appearance; barren, desolate.
6. Naked.
7. Complete, absolute, full.

## Etymology
From Middle English stark, starc, from Old English stearc, starc (“stiff, rigid, unyielding, obstinate, hard, strong, severe, violent”), from Proto-West Germanic *stark, from Proto-Germanic *starkuz (“stiff, strong”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)terg- (“rigid, stiff”).
Cognate with Saterland Frisian sterc (“strong”), Dutch sterk (“strong”), Low German sterk (“strong”), German stark (“strong”), Danish stærk (“strong”), Swedish stark (“strong”), Norwegian sterk (“strong”), Icelandic sterkur (“strong”). Related to starch.
In the phrase stark naked: an alternation of Middle English stert naked, from stert (“tail”), a literal parallel to the modern butt naked.

## Easily confused with
- **STR** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stark-vs-str)
- **stay** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stark-vs-stay)
- **stir** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stark-vs-stir)
- **stat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stark-vs-stat)
- **state** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stark-vs-state)
- **start** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stark-vs-start)
- **story** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stark-vs-story)
- **store** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stark-vs-store)
- **stock** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stark-vs-stock)
- **stars** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stark-vs-stars)
- **stick** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stark-vs-stick)
- **stuck** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stark-vs-stuck)
- **storm** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stark-vs-storm)
- **stats** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stark-vs-stats)
- **stays** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stark-vs-stays)
- **steak** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stark-vs-steak)
- **stern** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stark-vs-stern)
- **stash** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stark-vs-stash)
- **stink** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stark-vs-stink)
- **swarm** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stark-vs-swarm)

## Common misspellings (8)
`satrk`, `sstark`, `stakr`, `starkk`, `starrk`, `strak`, `sttark`, `tsark`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/stark