arid

adjective

Save Word

ar·id | \ ˈa-rəd

, ˈer-əd \

Definition of arid

1 : excessively dry specifically : having insufficient rainfall to support agriculture an arid region

2 : lacking in interest and life : jejune arid textbooks

Other Words from arid Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about arid

Keep scrolling for more

Other Words from arid

aridity \ ə-ˈri-də-tē

, a- \ noun

aridness \ ˈa-rəd-nəs

, ˈer-əd- \ noun

Examples of arid in a Sentence

a dull and arid textbook an arid speech about duty and responsibility

Recent Examples on the Web The shifts have far-reaching implications in arid Western states, factoring into the availability of water, wildfire conditions and utilities’ forecasts of energy use, among other things. — Ian James, The Arizona Republic, "New normals: The Southwest has grown hotter and drier over the past decade, data shows," 4 May 2021 Most common in the winter months, this weather system creates the semi-arid environment of the area. — Peter Rudden, CNN, "A Canadian oil firm thinks it has struck big. Some fear it could ravage a climate change hotspot," 3 May 2021 Chamise dominates native chaparral ecosystems up and down the state, dense shrublands that are too arid for trees. — Matt Simon, Wired, "The Humble Shrub That’s Predicting a Terrible Fire Season," 15 Apr. 2021 The southern Kalahari is often considered too arid to be important for human evolution. — Benjamin Schoville, Quartz, "Recent research from South Africa is redefining our timeline of human evolution," 4 Apr. 2021 The video alternates between lush countryside and semi-arid lands. — Siva Sithraputhran, Fortune, "South Indian viral hit ‘Enjoy Enjaami’ questions caste oppression," 29 Mar. 2021 The park is also the gateway to City Creek Canyon, which maintains its relative wilderness as a means of protecting the precious water that flows through this semi-arid region. — Jeremy Pugh, Condé Nast Traveler, "The Weekend Guide: Hiking, Wildlife, and Mile-High Biscuits in Salt Lake City," 23 Mar. 2021 Children are dying, farmlands are arid, water is toxic, and all of it is left un-remedied by the people financially benefiting. — Alicia Lutes, USA TODAY, "Imbolo Mbue's passionate new novel 'How Beautiful We Were' is going to grab you," 8 Mar. 2021 Rainfall, at 25 to 28 inches (650 to 720 millimeters) a year results in a semi-arid climate. — Tom Mullen, Forbes, "Racy And Elegant Italian Wines From Roero," 28 Feb. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'arid.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for arid

borrowed from French & Latin; French aride, going back to Middle French, borrowed from Latin āridus, ārdus "dry, waterless, withered, austere (of style)," derivative, with the adjective suffix -idus, of ārēre "to be dry, parched, withered," going back to Indo-European *h₁eh₂s-eh₁-, stative derivative of a verbal base *h₁eh₂s- "make dry with heat," whence also Tocharian A asatär "(it) dries up," Tocharian B osotär; also from the same base a root noun *h₁eh₂s-, whence Hittite ḫāšš- "ashes, dust," from which as thematic derivatives Sanskrit ā́saḥ "ashes, dust," and (as a collective or noun of appurtenance?) *h₁eh₂s-eh₂-, whence Latin āra "altar," Oscan aasaí (locative), Hittite ḫāššā- "hearth," Old High German essa, esse "forge" (from *asjō-), Old Swedish æsia, æssia "smith's fire," Old Icelandic esja "soapstone (used in hearths)" (both from *asjōn-)

Note: Regarding the apparent derivatives ardēre "to burn, emit light or flame" and ardor "burning, fierce heat," see ardent. — Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben gives the "essive" (= stative) form of the verbal base *h₁eh₂s as *h₁h₂s-h₁i̯é- and attributes the length in Latin ārēre to the influence of noun derivatives such as āra. D. Adams, however, regards the original base in Tocharian A and B to have been *ās-, corresponding to the length in the Latin verb (see A Dictionary of Tocharian B, Revised and Greatly Enlarged, Rodopi, 2013, p. 63). A. Kloekhorst (Etymological Dictionary of the Hittite Inherited Lexicon, Brill, 2008, pp. 322-23) regards the short vowel in Germanic as the residue of an oblique case form *h₂h_̥1s- of the root noun. See also ash entry 2, azalea.