barren 1 of 2

1
2
3
4

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

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

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
Adjective
The rock formations of the Burren in County Clare create a barren but breathtaking landscape that stretches out to the sea. Bernadette Keith, Travel + Leisure, 19 Oct. 2025 Where homes, buildings and fields once stood in the southern city of Rafah, there were now craters and barren wastelands. Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2025 Piazzale Angelo Moratti will no longer appear like a vast docking station for a bleeping spaceship on a barren planet, serviced only by rickety trams and a purple metro line. James Horncastle, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025 Together with progress made in other areas, such as finding ways of making Mars warm enough to sustain liquid water, restoring barren environments on Earth could be a key to one day living on Mars. Chris Impey, The Conversation, 23 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for barren
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barren
Adjective
  • Clowns, aliens and the mysteries of Denver Airport Nevada’s Extraterrestrial Highway – yes, it’s officially called that – runs through one of the most remote and desolate stretches of the United States.
    Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025
  • To find the killer, Sherlock Holmes and Watson will have to brave desolate moors before a family curse dooms the newest heirs.
    Meredith G. White, AZCentral.com, 1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • To combat the spread of the flies, the USDA disperses sterile flies into the area to stop the mating, a scientific method known as sterile insect technique (SIT).
    Lori Ann LaRocco, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Not seeing the bigger picture led to gray kitchens that felt sterile, flat, or at odds with their own style.
    Heather Bien, Southern Living, 17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The Mellon family foundation did not respond to Fortune’s request for comment, and attempts by the Times to reach Mellon were unsuccessful.
    Nino Paoli, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2025
  • The two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful.
    Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 25 Oct. 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
  • Sipping craft cocktails in a desert oasis?
    AFAR Media, AFAR Media, 24 Oct. 2025
  • He was arrested out in the desert over a traffic ticket.
    Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The film, which world premiered in the Berlinale’s Perspectives sidebar, follows an impoverished but determined family put to test when the father, who is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, is accused of murder.
    Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Sanctions have crippled the government’s primary source of revenue, oil exports, limiting the state’s ability to provide for millions of impoverished Iranians through social safety nets.
    Leila Gharagozlou, CNN Money, 19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Understanding each other is futile.
    Jake Coyle, Boston Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
  • The court fights all proved futile, however.
    George Avalos, Mercury News, 23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Even so, Posobiec is better positioned than anyone else to fill at least some of the void Kirk has left as one of the most important figures on the contemporary right.
    Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 22 Oct. 2025
  • This Promotion is void outside the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, and where prohibited.
    Vogue, Vogue, 13 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Barren.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barren. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on barren

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!