1
as in desolate
producing inferior or only a small amount of vegetation
if tobacco fields aren't allowed to lie idle once every few years, they will become barren
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sterile
not able to produce fruit or offspring
the pear tree appears to be barren
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in unsuccessful
producing no results
that line of investigation proved barren, so the police tried other avenues
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in devoid
utterly lacking in something needed, wanted, or expected
their proposal for revitalizing the downtown business district is utterly barren of useful ideas
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in desert
land that is uninhabited or not fit for crops
lived out in the barrens where it was impossible to grow anything
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of barren
Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 19 Feb. 2025
Is there something about the needy Anja and her ragged child that the barren Isabell responds to?
—Alissa Simon, Variety, 16 Feb. 2025
Season 2 stagnated in part because the story involved a whole lot of doing nothing, as the girls in the past wasted away in the barren winter and the women in the present twiddled their thumbs without confronting each other.
—Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2025
At a celebratory news conference in October 2022, a promotional video promised to transform 27 acres of barren land into a world-class destination.
—Nathan Fenno, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barren
Adjective
In her first Cowboy Carter teaser during the 2024 Super Bowl, Bey is seen driving a taxi through a barren landscape.
—Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 19 Feb. 2025
Is there something about the needy Anja and her ragged child that the barren Isabell responds to?
—Alissa Simon, Variety, 16 Feb. 2025
Season 2 stagnated in part because the story involved a whole lot of doing nothing, as the girls in the past wasted away in the barren winter and the women in the present twiddled their thumbs without confronting each other.
—Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2025
At a celebratory news conference in October 2022, a promotional video promised to transform 27 acres of barren land into a world-class destination.
—Nathan Fenno, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barren
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barren
Adjective
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This powerful film tells of the friendship between a young man and a peasant farmer who has devoted his life to planting trees throughout his desolate homeland.—
Jeremy Fassler,
Vulture,
2 Mar. 2025
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Orphaned at 3 years old and robbed of her fortune, she’s dragged aboard a ship sailing for New France by her guardian, only to be abandoned on a desolate island.—
Staff,
The Christian Science Monitor,
20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Ultimately, the music industry should be a playground of endless discovery rather than a sterile filter bubble.—
Seth Yudof,
Rolling Stone,
3 Mar. 2025
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The rooms sprawl before her in a series of sterile hallways that seem to never end.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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While the administration's efforts to slash the size of the federal government are embroiled in various lawsuits, court challenges to halt the shutdown of USAID have been unsuccessful so far.—
GARY FIELDS AND ELLEN KNICKMEYER THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
arkansasonline.com,
28 Feb. 2025
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The two had been hired to kill Pino’s estranged wife, according to the FBI, though their attempts up to that point had been unsuccessful.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Delle, devoid for so long from its intrinsic need for social interaction might be filling in the gaps by talking to himself.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
14 Feb. 2023
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The medication has hallucinogenic effects that alter the perception of sight and sound and cause users to feel devoid from pain and out of control of their surroundings.—
Jay Stahl,
USA TODAY,
28 Oct. 2023
Noun
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Saguaro National Park Before The Summer Heat Arrives Arizona’s deserts are at their most comfortable during spring, with daytime highs around 70–80°F.—
Emese Maczko,
Forbes,
7 Mar. 2025
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The 2025 Indian Wells Open will kick off this week in the California desert, where the best players in the world will be taking the court.—
Tommy Tuberville,
Newsweek,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Three generations of the Kim family have created a politically repressed and economically impoverished state that is nonetheless a pivotal actor on the global stage.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
25 Feb. 2025
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Now with all these things vanished, along with the bookstores and repertory cinemas, the city seems impoverished and disfigured.—
Adam Gopnik,
The New Yorker,
24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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For Alok Bansal, a newspaper columnist, the exercise is futile – and threatens to deepen divisions.—
Sushmita Pathak,
The Christian Science Monitor,
3 Mar. 2025
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Challenging the law again was futile until 2023 when progressives retook a 4–3 majority on the court.—
The Editors,
National Review,
25 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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With that money spread out over the course of his contract and into the four void years after his deal expires, his cap hit in 2025 is now $52.574 million.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 Mar. 2025
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By repeating his plan to clear out Gaza, Trump has shifted the Overton window in the Middle East and reinforced the idea that Palestinians’ claims are somehow void.—
Hussein Ibish,
The Atlantic,
27 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Barren.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barren. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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