stark

Severe or bare in appearance or outline; sharply clear; grim and unpleasant.

• starkly/ˈstɑːkli/(adv)鲜明地；严酷地
• starkness/ˈstɑːknəs/(n)严峻；鲜明

• stark contrast
• stark warning
• stark reminder
• stark difference
• in stark terms
• stark reality

1. 1.The report presents a stark warning: without immediate action, the situation will become irreversible within a decade.
2. 2.The contrast between the two neighbourhoods is stark — separated by a single street, yet worlds apart in opportunity.

• harsh/hɑːʃ/— unpleasantly severe
• bleak/bliːk/— cold and unwelcoming
• glaring/ˈɡleərɪŋ/— very obvious

from Old English "stearc" (stiff, rigid)