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
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Recent Examples of barren
Karen Gardiner, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2026
This isn't to say every single post-starburst galaxy is totally barren.
—Paul Sutter, Space.com, 25 Apr. 2026
After a March trade sent Jaylen Waddle to the Denver Broncos in exchange for a first, a third and a fourth-round pick swap, the Dolphins’ receiver core has looked kind of barren.
—Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2026
Haggerty noted what the Artemis crew saw on the moon’s surface, including steep canyon walls and barren wasteland.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for barren
Adjective
The experience gave me a front-row seat to the coast’s dramatic beauty, and also a lesson in the abundance of the Arctic, a region often assumed to be barren.
—Karen Gardiner, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2026
This isn't to say every single post-starburst galaxy is totally barren.
—Paul Sutter, Space.com, 25 Apr. 2026
After a March trade sent Jaylen Waddle to the Denver Broncos in exchange for a first, a third and a fourth-round pick swap, the Dolphins’ receiver core has looked kind of barren.
—Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2026
Haggerty noted what the Artemis crew saw on the moon’s surface, including steep canyon walls and barren wasteland.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for barren
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barren
Adjective
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Introducing the setting with a majestic crane shot (particularly immersive in 3D), his camera soars above the cave and surveys the desolate landscape.—
Eric Kohn,
IndieWire,
24 Apr. 2026
-
For myself, having a Wrangler is the perfect vehicle to just drive these desolate roads.—
Morgan Korn,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Notably, Bauhinia blakeana is a sterile hybrid, resulting from the cross-pollination of two different plant varieties.—
Pauline J. Yao,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
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Adding a plant to your bathroom is the ultimate way to infuse some personality into this sometimes sterile space.—
Lauren Wellbank,
Martha Stewart,
2 May 2026
Adjective
-
The mammal’s health deteriorated as it became repeatedly stranded in shallow waters, and unsuccessful efforts to coax it toward deeper seas were livestreamed across the globe.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The child was taken to Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital in Azle, where additional lifesaving efforts were unsuccessful, the sheriff's office said.—
Doug Myers,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
On Thursday afternoon, at least two of the parishes marked for closure stood silent and seemingly devoid of activity.—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
30 Apr. 2026
-
To be fair, Saturday’s Kentucky Derby field isn’t entirely devoid of notable nomenclature.—
Tyler Estep,
AJC.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In the early 20th century, this man-versus-nature oasis was strong-armed into being when mobsters and casino magnates swept into the Nevada desert.—
Zoey Goto,
Architectural Digest,
6 May 2026
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The recent yacht rock renaissance has elevated the profile of both the song and of singer-songwriter Christopher Cross, restoring its status as a certifiable bop after years spent wandering in the desert of unintentional camp.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
Democrats have attacked these anti-fraud policies as an effort to undermine safety net programs for the impoverished.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The redevelopment could begin unfolding as the Greater Hartford Gives Foundation, the former Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, begins construction on a new $35 million headquarters in Clay Arsenal, two major projects for the long-impoverished neighborhood.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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But although resistance is similarly futile, their goals are less about assimilation than worshipping the obsessive Grant's wife, Starla (Elizabeth Banks).—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
1 May 2026
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His father was a schoolteacher and a member of the Nazi Party; Baselitz, who was seven at the cessation of World War II, would later recall the smoke rising from firebombed Dresden as his mother hurried her children through the city in a futile attempt to escape the Russians.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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According to an internal email sent to National Park Service staff in late December and viewed by the outlets, staff members have been instructed to ask visitors to take any stickers off their card or it could be considered void.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
28 Apr. 2026
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Lyman raised concerns about new reactor designs with positive void coefficients, including the Kemmerer Unit 1.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Barren.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barren. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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