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
Hunter Ingram, Variety, 27 May 2026
The trailer for Backrooms shows Ejiofor, 48, exploring a bizarre, barren yellow room that seemingly never ends.
—Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 27 May 2026
The beer aisles in the surrounding supermarkets were barren, pubs were packed and the streets flooded.
—Thomas Schlachter, CNN Money, 23 May 2026
The summit is a barren ash field, gray and treeless, scoured by sulfuric gas and acidic rain that burns whatever tries to grow.
—Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for barren
Adjective
Sealed by consuming a mushroom that sprung from the snowy, barren land (as seen in last week’s episode), Richard’s devilish pact cursed Widow’s Bay for the foreseeable future, binding all those born on it to its grounds — those who try to leave face immediate death beyond its watery borders.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 27 May 2026
The trailer for Backrooms shows Ejiofor, 48, exploring a bizarre, barren yellow room that seemingly never ends.
—Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 27 May 2026
The beer aisles in the surrounding supermarkets were barren, pubs were packed and the streets flooded.
—Thomas Schlachter, CNN Money, 23 May 2026
The summit is a barren ash field, gray and treeless, scoured by sulfuric gas and acidic rain that burns whatever tries to grow.
—Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for barren
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barren
Adjective
-
Since the Bankhead and Livermore Cinema opened, a number of popular restaurants – including Zachary’s Pizza, Sauced BBQ and Spirits and Locanda Wine Bar have transformed a once-desolate block into a buzzing culinary destination.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
4 June 2026
-
Just under 300,000 years from the moment Homo sapiens appeared in Africa, the species had encircled Earth, mastering desolate deserts and frozen wastelands and all the temperate climes in between.—
Cody Cottier,
Scientific American,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
The sterile flies are irradiated and released en masse, designed to blanket a region experiencing an outbreak.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
7 June 2026
-
American officials are working to expand the use of sterile male screwworm flies to stop the parasites’ spread.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
6 June 2026
Adjective
-
Japanese police trudged through deep mud on Thursday in another unsuccessful day searching for a missing Auburn University student, who vanished after an argument with family over artificial intelligence.—
David K. Li,
NBC news,
4 June 2026
-
Efforts to reach Bronstein for comment on Stone’s claims were unsuccessful Thursday.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
Well it’s expected to make some big box office bucks this weekend, but sadly this reboot, simply called once again Scary Movie, is surprisingly devoid of many laughs.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
4 June 2026
-
Although service is not quite polished, the happy-go-lucky Dutch-Caribbean staff are refreshingly devoid of attitude.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Passengers are treated to rare desert vistas that aren’t visible from surrounding interstates as the train glides by vast ranches, undulating mountains, and scenic pueblos.—
Jessica Puckett,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 June 2026
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Photos and a video Aiello provided show bladed wire snaking around the decomposing animal’s neck and curved horns, as well as the front legs, in a desert landscape dotted with boulders.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
Rural Cuba was profoundly impoverished and underdeveloped before and during the Batista era, and land ownership was scant among the working poor.—
Max Saltman,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
-
So much for bringing the experience of art to culturally impoverished Butte.—
Jonathan Franzen,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Adjective
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That was an appropriate response by Rockies fans when the Rockies mercifully moved on from futile general manager Bill Geivett and insufferable team president Greg Feasel.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
7 June 2026
-
Any attempt to pin down the greatest men’s footballer is therefore futile at best and highly subjective at worst.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
3 June 2026
Adjective
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The pipeline feeding mid-level and senior positions runs through junior hiring; cutting it today creates a leadership void tomorrow.—
Nitin Agarwal,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
-
Covey said the team is hoping the void space at the top of the tank will absorb the overpressure from the curing process, preventing an explosion.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
23 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Barren.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barren. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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