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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of barren
Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 1 May 2026
Using that signal, along with help from the department’s Real-Time Crime Center and aviation unit, officers began narrowing down her location in a vast and barren desert area.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026
Newsweek obtained more photos of barren food trays on the USS Abraham Lincoln holding two eggs and a gloppy scoop of porridge, among other skimpy meals.
—Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for barren
Adjective
Ground covers can suppress weeds, protect topsoil from erosion and drought, and fill empty gaps between stepping stones, pavers, and barren ground.
—Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 1 May 2026
Using that signal, along with help from the department’s Real-Time Crime Center and aviation unit, officers began narrowing down her location in a vast and barren desert area.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026
Newsweek obtained more photos of barren food trays on the USS Abraham Lincoln holding two eggs and a gloppy scoop of porridge, among other skimpy meals.
—Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for barren
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barren
Adjective
-
On desolate rural strips or town squares, Mary is always the same.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 May 2026
-
Considered ancient leftovers from the formation of our solar system, these desolate bodies don't meet the criteria to be considered planets.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
According to this logic, a tetraploid crossed with a diploid watermelon would yield a triploid plant that would be sterile, and this is how seedless watermelons came to be.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
7 May 2026
-
For the healthcare industry, the shortage of polypropylene and PVC limits the availability of syringes, IV bags and sterile packaging.—
Angelica Ang,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
Golden State Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob said his unsuccessful bid to buy the San Diego Padres assumed that the entire 2027 MLB season would likely be lost due to labor strife.—
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
6 May 2026
-
The assailant stabbed the pope with a bayonet, but the assassination attempt was unsuccessful.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
This roster isn’t devoid of talent, even after the post-CBA free agency exodus that occurred this offseason.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
8 May 2026
-
Plates like roasted bone marrow with beef tartare, lobster steam buns, and Dimock butter cake with popcorn comprise the menu, which is notably devoid of any seed oils.—
Taryn Shorr-Mckee,
Midwest Living,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Out in the high desert city of Barstow stand three Del Tacos that bill themselves as better than their corporate cousins.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
-
Anais has no idea that this institute in the desert is run by a secret cult – where healing is not the objective – but a gateway to something far more sinister.—
Roberto Prieto,
Variety,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
Suu Kyi, 80, has been detained by the junta since and her whereabouts have been unclear amid a deadly civil war that was triggered by the February 2021 coup that has engulfed much of the impoverished Southeast Asian nation.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
1 May 2026
-
Democrats have attacked these anti-fraud policies as an effort to undermine safety net programs for the impoverished.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Since efforts to end the war began, Trump has frequently switched between publicly projecting progress and dismissing the talks as futile.—
Steve Kopack,
NBC news,
6 May 2026
-
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
Adjective
-
Late or incomplete entries will be void.—
AJC.com,
AJC.com,
7 May 2026
-
Now two other artists, Otto and West, will try to fill the musical void Malo left.—
Dan Kelly
May 7,
Kansas City Star,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Barren.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barren. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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