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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of barren
David Ewalt, NBC news, 10 May 2025
In the early 1900s, Jennie Butchart transformed the scarred land of a barren limestone quarry into a lush retreat, proving nature’s resilience.
—Cheryl Russell, Oc Register, 11 May 2025
The inky ocean depths are often assumed to be barren, but this is a myth, said Adrian Glover, a deep-sea ocean scientist at the UK’s Natural History Museum.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 8 May 2025
Due to the lack of rain in the crucial winter months, the areas that are sometimes covered in poppies, lupines and other blooms — the Arvin Cross area in Arvin, Walker Canyon in Lake Elsinore and the Antelope Valley, to name a few — are more barren this year.
—Raul Roa, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for barren
Adjective
Ten of those missions successfully landed on the hot, barren planet, but the rocket carrying Kosmos 482 malfunctioned.
—David Ewalt, NBC news, 10 May 2025
In the early 1900s, Jennie Butchart transformed the scarred land of a barren limestone quarry into a lush retreat, proving nature’s resilience.
—Cheryl Russell, Oc Register, 11 May 2025
The inky ocean depths are often assumed to be barren, but this is a myth, said Adrian Glover, a deep-sea ocean scientist at the UK’s Natural History Museum.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 8 May 2025
Due to the lack of rain in the crucial winter months, the areas that are sometimes covered in poppies, lupines and other blooms — the Arvin Cross area in Arvin, Walker Canyon in Lake Elsinore and the Antelope Valley, to name a few — are more barren this year.
—Raul Roa, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for barren
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barren
Adjective
-
When The Last of Us premiered back in 2023, there was massive chatter surrounding Pascal and his penchant for rescuing desolate children in TV shows.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
People.com,
25 May 2025
-
See a camera operator following Snook to a desolate corner?—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
21 May 2025
Adjective
-
Your yard does not need to resemble a sterile English garden.—
Ticked Off,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 June 2025
-
Tattoo Health Risk #3: Potentially Serious Infections Even in professional studios with sterile technique, infections are a real risk.—
Jesse Pines,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
Adjective
-
Efforts to reach Suncor officials for this story were unsuccessful.—
Noelle Phillips,
Denver Post,
7 June 2025
-
One game after the Oilers were unsuccessful in challenging that Bennett interfered with Stuart Skinner during the game’s first goal, Bennett toppled over Skinner after getting contact from Ekholm later in the period.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
7 June 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
-
Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa, Indian Wells, CA A chic escape for those looking to relax and recharge in the desert, Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa offers Functional Flow Yoga classes designed to enhance strength, mobility and balance through mindful movement.—
Roger Sands,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
-
Early in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Predator and later Reaper drones armed with Hellfire missiles allowed pilots in dark bases in the Nevada desert to attack militant targets in the Middle East.—
Tom Vanden Brook,
USA Today,
8 June 2025
Adjective
-
In Zimbabwe, the Catholic Church operates about 100 schools, ranging from dozens in impoverished areas where annual tuition is as low as $150 to elite boarding schools that can charge thousands of dollars.—
Rodney Muhumuza,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2025
-
Some government functions were eviscerated, such as the U.S. Agency for International Development, which had provided a lifeline for impoverished people around the world.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 May 2025
Adjective
-
The fight against short-term rentals, after all, can be futile.—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
6 June 2025
-
But without Congress actually enacting the DOGE cuts into law, history will show this entire exercise to have been largely futile.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
The suit asked a judge to block the Graham Companies from canceling the original 2014 land deal, which the Graham Companies said was void after Triple Five failed to meet development deadlines.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
30 May 2025
-
Any medical debt reported in violation of this law is void and unenforceable.—
Alonzo Martinez,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Barren.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barren. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share