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
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
Carl Anka, New York Times, 2 July 2025
The jetliner heading to Nairobi lost control shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport and nose-dived into a barren patch of land.
—arkansasonline.com, 13 July 2025
Bandits, raiders, and more monsters crawl the barren landscape.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 11 July 2025
However, planting vegetation under solar panels—as opposed to the more traditional method of siting solar arrays on somewhat barren land—can help cool them.
—Robert Pearlman, ArsTechnica, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for barren
Adjective
Tracking his goals compared with his xG across a 900-minute rolling average, there have been some barren spells — with a seven-game goalless run in August 2024, as well as an eight-match run at the start of the 2022-23 season.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 2 July 2025
The jetliner heading to Nairobi lost control shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport and nose-dived into a barren patch of land.
—arkansasonline.com, 13 July 2025
Bandits, raiders, and more monsters crawl the barren landscape.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 11 July 2025
However, planting vegetation under solar panels—as opposed to the more traditional method of siting solar arrays on somewhat barren land—can help cool them.
—Robert Pearlman, ArsTechnica, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for barren
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barren
Adjective
-
Padam and Tulsi, whose remote Himalayan village has become increasingly desolate as families migrate to cities, leaving the pair to wonder who will perform their last rites.—
Variety Staff,
Variety,
25 July 2025
-
Imagine how desolate the Democrats are that a Democrat running on affordability is an anti-establishment Democrat.—
Ted Reed,
Forbes.com,
16 July 2025
Adjective
-
Did the original idea for the Jor-El and Lara twist come from your reading of the John Byrne comic run where Krypton was cold and sterile, and Clark embraced Earth over Krypton?—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
20 July 2025
-
When Carol was revealed to be sterile, viewers were outraged.—
Shania Russell,
EW.com,
20 July 2025
Adjective
-
Although a request for proposals for a new company to run the facility drew interest from at least two companies, neither ended up completing the process to submit a proposal and efforts to reach out to other companies have so far been unsuccessful, Hyde said.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
25 July 2025
-
Roughly 45 seconds later, Van der Walt tried to add hot air to the envelope and close the rapid deflation valve but was unsuccessful, according to the report.—
Perry Vandell,
AZCentral.com,
25 July 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
-
Delle, devoid for so long from its intrinsic need for social interaction might be filling in the gaps by talking to himself.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
14 Feb. 2023
Noun
-
Cuyama Badlands, Santa Barbara, California With four RV/tent sites, two dedicated RV spots and two tent-only sites, this desert moonscape is perfect for stargazers.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
-
Matthew Tostevin What To Know The Line, the most ambitious piece of Neom, was unveiled as a pair of parallel 500-meter-tall skyscrapers stretching through the desert.—
Amira El-Fekki,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 July 2025
Adjective
-
Will parts of Norway look like Nauru, a formerly lush tropical paradise stripped of its phosphate rock, and now a barren, impoverished cautionary tale?—
Suwanna Gauntlett Upjohn,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
-
The owner had purchased it in 2006 through a federal mortgage program designed specifically for people like her: impoverished, first-time homeowners who live in the most rural parts of the United States.—
ProPublica,
ProPublica,
20 July 2025
Adjective
-
Go with the flow, but not toward the beach: Trying to swim directly toward the beach when caught in a rip current is futile and exhausting.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
6 July 2025
-
This group saw military responses as futile, as Iran was assumed to have escalation dominance.—
JAMES JEFFREY,
Foreign Affairs,
4 July 2025
Adjective
-
Temporary documents that once allowed others access to certain services are now void.—
Arash Azizi,
The Atlantic,
17 July 2025
-
To avoid violating the statute and imposing discipline that is void, HOAs need to take action soon.—
Kelly G. Richardson,
Oc Register,
11 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Barren.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barren. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share