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
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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
Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 30 Aug. 2025
Just as Thompson saw something of the end of the hippie dream in the barren stretches of Southwest sand, so too did many of the American films most explicitly concerned with the collapse of ’60s idealism take place in the country’s deserts.
—Jake Cole, IndieWire, 18 Aug. 2025
But there was no plan for anyone to buy the property, which remains barren, is used to store Department of Public Works vehicles and is no longer available for purchase on the city's website, according to the defense's memorandum.
—Christina Hall, Freep.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Since then, the Space to Grow program has turned 36 barren yards at public schools across Chicago into green community hubs; five more redesign projects are breaking ground this summer.
—Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barren
Adjective
On a macro scale, that effect has been well-documented by photographers, with aerial shots of waterways clogged with plastic, the scars on barren land from deforestation and countless smokestacks spewing pollution into the air.
—Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 30 Aug. 2025
Just as Thompson saw something of the end of the hippie dream in the barren stretches of Southwest sand, so too did many of the American films most explicitly concerned with the collapse of ’60s idealism take place in the country’s deserts.
—Jake Cole, IndieWire, 18 Aug. 2025
But there was no plan for anyone to buy the property, which remains barren, is used to store Department of Public Works vehicles and is no longer available for purchase on the city's website, according to the defense's memorandum.
—Christina Hall, Freep.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Since then, the Space to Grow program has turned 36 barren yards at public schools across Chicago into green community hubs; five more redesign projects are breaking ground this summer.
—Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barren
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barren
Adjective
-
The lock screen on the Mac remains a desolate place, relative to the same area in both iOS and iPadOS—this is still a no-notifications, no-widgets zone that exists only to keep your Mac locked.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
15 Sep. 2025
-
While the rest of Burning Man celebrated, Kruglov lay prostrate on the ground at a faraway campsite in a comparatively desolate section of Black Rock City, his throat slashed, as a puddle of blood congealed around his lifeless body.—
Denver Nicks,
Rolling Stone,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The sterile cockpit rule prohibits pilots from engaging in conversations unrelated to operating the aircraft when flying below 10,000 feet.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
-
These aren’t sterile operations run by committees.—
Joel Goldstein,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
While Hadden-Paton was unsuccessful in keeping his dapper suit, his costar, Hugh Bonneville, who plays Lord Grantham, confessed to Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan on Live!—
Meredith Wilshere,
PEOPLE,
14 Sep. 2025
-
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reached out for comment but was unsuccessful.—
Natalie Eilbert,
jsonline.com,
14 Sep. 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
-
That devoid ingredient hindered things exponentially.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Feb. 2024
Noun
-
Husband Jeff, meanwhile, stuck to his own formula of chinos, polos, and brown desert boots.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Deadline’s deep dive on Desert Warrior last October revealed how the film encountered issues after its grueling 2021 shoot in the Saudi desert.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The walk is presided over by its creator, a mysterious authoritarian figure known as the Major (Mark Hamill) who extolls the sadistic contest as a boon for the spirits of the impoverished American people.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
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Probably the one that’s best known is the one about how Philomelus, a young, impoverished farmer and herdsman, struggled to push his plow through his fields.—
Mike Lynch,
Twin Cities,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
In other words, resistance is futile.—
Mia Sosa,
PEOPLE,
15 Sep. 2025
-
If anything, Shock and Awe mostly reminds you how futile living in the madness of a Fake News world can be.—
Will Leitch,
Vulture,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The increasingly popular use of void years — dummy years to spread the cap hit beyond a contract’s expiration — magnifies the effect.—
Mike Sando,
New York Times,
10 Sep. 2025
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In his appeal though, obtained by PEOPLE, Guobadia argued that their November 2022 prenup was void because Williams allegedly misrepresented herself during negotiations by not disclosing her plans to return to RHOA.—
Dave Quinn,
People.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Barren.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barren. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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