barren

1 of 3

adjective

bar·​ren ˈber-ən 

ˈba-rən

1

: not reproducing: such as

a

: incapable of producing offspring

—used especially of females or matings

barren women

b

: not yet or not recently pregnant

c

of plants : habitually failing to fruit

barren apple trees

2

: not productive: such as

a

: producing little or no vegetation : desolate

barren deserts

b

: producing inferior crops

barren soil

c

: unproductive of results or gain : fruitless

a barren scheme

3

: devoid, lacking

—used with of

barren of excitement

4

: lacking interest or charm

a barren routine

5

: lacking inspiration or ideas

a barren mind

barrenly adverb

barrenness

ˈber-ə(n)-nəs 

ˈba-rə(n)-

noun

barren

2 of 3

noun (1)

1

barrens plural, geography : an extent of usually level land having an inferior growth of trees or little vegetation

2

: a tract of barren land

barrenness

3 of 3

noun (2)

bar·​ren·​ness ˈber-ə(n)-nəs 

ˈba-rə(n)-

plural -es

: the quality or state of being barren

Synonyms of barren

Adjective

• desolate
• impoverished
• bleak

Noun (1)

• desert

Choose the Right Synonym for barren

bare, naked, nude, bald, barren mean deprived of naturally or conventionally appropriate covering.

bare implies the removal of what is additional, superfluous, ornamental, or dispensable.

an apartment with bare walls

naked suggests absence of protective or ornamental covering but may imply a state of nature, of destitution, or of defenselessness.

poor half-naked children

nude applies especially to the unclothed human figure.

a nude model posing for art students

bald implies actual or seeming absence of natural covering and may suggest a conspicuous bareness.

a bald mountain peak

barren often suggests aridity or impoverishment or sterility.

barren plains

Examples of barren in a Sentence

Adjective

Few creatures can thrive on these barren mountaintops.

The book was good, but I found the barren lives of the characters depressing.

Noun (1)

lived out in the barrens where it was impossible to grow anything

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The missile flew northeast and then banked and began flying in loops for hours over the barren, frozen landscape. —Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 18 June 2026

Some would eventually be moved to a cruise ship rented by the government, while others were stationed at nondescript military outposts that sprung up in the barren hills around the edges of Nuuk. —Joshua Hunt, Vanity Fair, 17 June 2026

Videos posted on Facebook by the Radical Reform Movement showed a small group of protesters milling around a barrier set up on a two-lane road running through a barren landscape on a bright sunny day. —ABC News, 17 June 2026

Among its most significant findings was evidence that solar storms can dramatically accelerate the loss of atmospheric gases, helping explain how Mars evolved from a potentially habitable world into the cold, barren planet seen today. —Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 17 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English bareine, from Anglo-French barain, perhaps of Celtic origin; akin to Middle Welsh brynar fallow land

Noun (1)

noun derivative of barren entry 1

Noun (2)

Middle English bareynesse, from bareyne barren + -nesse -ness

First Known Use

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (1)

1651, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing barren

• barren of

Rhymes for barren

• baron

Kids Definition

barren

1 of 2 adjective

bar·​ren ˈbar-ən 

1

a

: not able to produce offspring

—used especially of females

b

: usually failing to fruit

barren apple trees

2

a

: producing inferior or little to no vegetation

barren soils

b

: not producing results or gain

a barren plan

barrenly adverb

barrenness

-ən-nəs 

noun

barren

2 of 2 noun

: a tract of barren land

Medical Definition

barren

adjective

bar·​ren ˈbar-ən 

: incapable of producing offspring

—used especially of females or matings

barrenness

-ən-nəs 

noun