Learn English – What does the phrase “in stark terms” mean

meaning

It is from Crash Course World History. It is at 1 minute and 7 second. Here is the context:

In the most stark terms, the absence of food led the deaths, difectly and indirectly, of 20 million peopledufing those years.

I checked all the meanings of the words in the phrase, but still I cannot get what it means.

Best Answer

It just means that the narrator is speaking in the strongest or most severe possible terms. He doesn't want to pull any punches.

One meaning of stark (The Free Dictionary Online) is

Severe or unmitigated; harsh or grim

You can see how the deaths of 20 million people might warrant such terms.

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