Synonyms of barren

barren 1 of 2

adjective

ˈber-ən 

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

• desolate
• impoverished
• bleak
• poor
• waste
• unfertile
• infertile
• unproductive
• bony
• hardscrabble
• stark
• desert
• dry
• lifeless
• inhospitable
• dead
• thirsty
• drained
• arid
• uncultivable
• depleted
• exhausted
• consumed
• reduced
• diminished
• debilitated
• spent
• droughty
• sere
• waterless
• rainless
• untillable
• enfeebled
• parched
• sunbaked
• dried-up
• expended
• lessened
• dehydrated
• baked
• bankrupted
• used up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• fertile
• rich
• productive
• fruitful
• lush
• luxuriant
• arable
• green
• tillable
• verdant
• sylvan

2

as in sterile

not able to produce fruit or offspring

the pear tree appears to be barren

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sterile
• unfruitful
• sterilized
• altered
• infertile
• fruitless
• impotent
• emasculated
• neutered
• unproductive
• castrated
• desexed
• spayed
• gelded

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• fertile
• fruitful
• productive
• fat
• rich
• prolific
• luxuriant
• pregnant
• fecund
• enriched
• potent
• impregnated
• bearing
• producing
• fertilized
• bursting
• yielding
• flourishing
• blooming
• teeming
• swarming

3

as in unsuccessful

producing no results

that line of investigation proved barren, so the police tried other avenues

Synonyms & Similar Words

• unsuccessful
• futile
• useless
• unprofitable
• unproductive
• fruitless
• ineffective
• in vain
• ineffectual
• unavailing
• empty
• vain
• abortive
• worthless
• impossible
• insufficient
• of no avail
• profitless
• hollow
• inadequate
• meaningless
• bootless
• not worth the candle
• valueless
• inefficacious
• otiose
• no dice
• pointless
• lost
• hopeless
• idle
• lacking
• unattainable
• counterproductive
• wanting
• no-win

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• successful
• effective
• efficient
• fruitful
• profitable
• productive
• virtuous
• deadly
• potent
• meaningful
• worthwhile
• adequate
• sufficient
• effectual
• efficacious
• practical
• feasible
• functional
• applicable
• usable
• workable
• practicable
• realizable

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

• devoid
• void
• empty
• bankrupt
• destitute
• bereft
• bare
• blank
• vacant
• insufficient
• incomplete
• deficient
• fragmentary
• stark
• absent
• partial
• wanting
• short
• fragmental
• innocent
• missing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• fraught
• filled
• full
• rife
• replete
• flush
• provided
• crowded
• furnished
• saturated
• supplied
• bursting
• fat
• brimming
• packed
• loaded
• stuffed
• thick
• crammed
• bulging
• chock-full
• jammed
• teeming
• swarming
• jam-packed
• abounding
• thronging

barren

2 of 2

noun

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

• desert
• wasteland
• wilderness
• desolation
• heath
• waste
• bush
• no-man's-land
• wild
• badland
• brush
• open
• dust bowl
• open air
• outdoors
• out-of-doors
• nature

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective barren differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of barren are bald, bare, naked, and nude. While all these words mean "deprived of naturally or conventionally appropriate covering," barren often suggests aridity or impoverishment or sterility.

barren plains

When can bald be used instead of barren?

The synonyms bald and barren are sometimes interchangeable, but bald implies actual or seeming absence of natural covering and may suggest a conspicuous bareness.

a bald mountain peak

When might bare be a better fit than barren?

The words bare and barren are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, bare implies the removal of what is additional, superfluous, ornamental, or dispensable.

an apartment with bare walls

When could naked be used to replace barren?

While in some cases nearly identical to barren, naked suggests absence of protective or ornamental covering but may imply a state of nature, of destitution, or of defenselessness.

poor half-naked children

Where would nude be a reasonable alternative to barren?

The words nude and barren can be used in similar contexts, but nude applies especially to the unclothed human figure.

a nude model posing for art students

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of barren

Adjective

Sprawling acres of largely barren farmland, still owned by the sugarcane plantations that dominated the islands’ economy for a century, line the side of the highway here, gently sloping toward the craggy green cliffs of the Waimea Canyon. — Guthrie Scrimgeour, Rolling Stone, 2 Aug. 2026

Rootless Isak settles on barren land and attempts to build a life with Inger, a solitary woman marked by resilience and secrecy. — John Hopewell, Variety, 28 July 2026

But whether nestled in lush forests or barren deserts, these towns bear the scars of time, showcasing human ingenuity while reminding us of the inevitability of decay. — Kieron Marchese, Architectural Digest, 27 July 2026

The result is nothing more than a barren landscape with little detail. — Drew Pittock, USA Today, 24 July 2026