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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of barren
Charlie Campbell, Time, 25 July 2025
Brown, barren, patchy spots in your lawn can be unsightly.
—Cody Godwin, USA Today, 24 July 2025
Will parts of Norway look like Nauru, a formerly lush tropical paradise stripped of its phosphate rock, and now a barren, impoverished cautionary tale?
—Suwanna Gauntlett Upjohn, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
This will reduce the exoplanet to nothing more than a small, rocky and barren core.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 18 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for barren
Adjective
Then there is Canada and Greenland’s beef over the uninhabited Hans Island, a barren spit in the Kennedy Channel.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 25 July 2025
Brown, barren, patchy spots in your lawn can be unsightly.
—Cody Godwin, USA Today, 24 July 2025
Will parts of Norway look like Nauru, a formerly lush tropical paradise stripped of its phosphate rock, and now a barren, impoverished cautionary tale?
—Suwanna Gauntlett Upjohn, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
This will reduce the exoplanet to nothing more than a small, rocky and barren core.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 18 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for barren
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barren
Adjective
-
The Emperor Titus attempted but failed to revive Pompeii and its sibling town Herculaneum soon after the catastrophe, leaving the desolate region largely abandoned until its rediscovery in 1748.—
Andrew Paul Aug 7,
Popular Science,
7 Aug. 2025
-
In Namibia, Shipwreck Lodge in the desolate Skeleton Coast National Park and the secluded Hoanib Valley Camp are oases of luxury in otherworldly settings.—
Erina Pinar,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The invasive parasite has been nearing the Mexico–Texas border, threatening the area's cattle industry The U.S. and Mexico are working on numerous plans to combat New World screwworm infestations, including a plan to release sterile male flies to curb the species' spread.—
Moná Thomas,
People.com,
11 Aug. 2025
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The story follows a man trapped in an endless, sterile subway passageway, who sets out to find Exit 8.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Neighbors attempted to rescue her but were unsuccessful, the sheriff’s office said.—
Nour Rahal,
Freep.com,
5 Aug. 2025
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The brothers reportedly offered their attacker a hot dog in exchange for a peaceful exit, but their efforts were unsuccessful.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Banking has become functionally correct but emotionally devoid, with the industry swimming in a sea of sameness.—
Michael Abbott,
Forbes,
19 Mar. 2025
-
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
Noun
-
The press and social media were quick to throw dirt on Las Vegas, like the still-undiscovered holes in the desert holding the remains of deceased mobsters.—
Michael Goldstein,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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So like travelers on the desert stretch between San Diego and Phoenix, Padres fans may want to enjoy a celebratory date shake.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Having two of the three most impoverished cities, especially when those cities are experiencing booming population growth, is its own kind of economic miracle, if an ignominious one.—
Kathryn Anne Edwards,
Mercury News,
7 Aug. 2025
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The eye-popping dollar figures in the statements contrast with everything else happening on an impoverished island, where people spend much of their time without electricity and many still depend on meager food rations to survive.—
Nora Gamez Torres,
Miami Herald,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Attempts by deputies and paramedics to revive him were futile, and he was pronounced dead at 4:40 p.m.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Aug. 2025
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Even finding enough people to fill all the jobs that would be needed would be futile, given the size of the workforce and the unemployment rate.—
Sheldon H. Jacobson,
Twin Cities,
23 July 2025
Adjective
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The bill also contains provisions that any agreement to the contrary, other than a collective bargaining agreement, would be void.—
Dale Nelson,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
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If the player does not take a snap for any NFL team in the stated regular season, bets are void.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Barren.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barren. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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