barren
adjective
, ˈba-rən\
Definition of barren
(Entry 1 of 2)
barren
nounDefinition of barren (Entry 2 of 2)
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Other Words from barren
Adjective
, ˈba-rə(n)- \
noun
Synonyms & Antonyms for barren
Synonyms: Adjective
bony (also boney), dead, desolate, hardscrabble, impoverished, infertile, poor, stark, unfertile, unproductive, waste
Synonyms: Noun
desert, desolation, heath, no-man's-land, waste, wasteland
Antonyms: Adjective
fertile, fruitful, lush, luxuriant, productive, rich
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Examples of barren in a Sentence
Adjective
Few creatures can thrive on these barren mountaintops. The book was good, but I found the barren lives of the characters depressing.Noun
lived out in the barrens where it was impossible to grow anything
Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
Waiting for Indy's first Although Indianapolis artists have yet to conquer the Billboard charts, the city's hip-hop history isn't barren. — David Lindquist, Indianapolis Star, "He's taking the stairs, not the elevator, but Indianapolis rapper Trajik just keeps rising," 22 Aug. 2019 Now is the perfect time to get your shopping done, before the store lines stretch a mile long, the aisles become barren, and everything is sold out online. — Tainaya Nash, House Beautiful, "The Wait Is Over—Michael’s Has Finally Released Its Halloween Collection," 31 July 2019 Otherwise, the landscape seems barren and nearly sapped of color. — Lila Thulin, Smithsonian, "This Artist Imagines How Nature Evolves Following an Environmental Apocalypse," 19 July 2019 For centuries, humans believed that much of it was barren of life. — Adam Minter, Twin Cities, "Adam Minter: Big Tech needs to save the deep seas," 11 Aug. 2019 If Alpha Centauri turns out to be barren, this will suggest that Earth-like planets are not as common as once thought. — Corey S. Powell, Scientific American, "The Hunt Is on for Alpha Centauri’s Planets," 5 Aug. 2019 Parks were empty, church parking lots were barren, and many businesses were deserted. — Los Angeles Times, "For Latinos, El Paso is a devastating new low in a Trump era," 5 Aug. 2019 Having not won domestically since Rocco's departure, Milan were similarly barren on the European front, and the tactician set about restoring some continental pride. — SI.com, "Nereo Rocco: 'El Paron', the Pioneer of Catenaccio & Forgotten Great of Italian Football," 30 July 2019 The islands, which are largely barren and uninhabited, have continued to divide the two countries throughout the postwar period. — Brad Lendon, CNN, "Why Russia and China are wading into a centuries' old dispute over a tiny island cluster," 26 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
That caused the workers to kill the barren queens and begin to raise new royalty, a ruthless reaction the bees evolved long ago to ensure the future of their hives. — Erik Stokstad, Science | AAAS, "Breeders toughen up bees to resist deadly mites," 25 July 2019 Facing the dull barren, writers find refuge in the evergreen relief of lists—awards, rankings, and predictions. — Jacob Feldman, SI.com, "The 2019 Sports On-Air All-Stars," 11 July 2019 Most of the mountain is a barren, red landscape of volcanic rock and dust, with thin, dry air, intense sunlight and winds that will blow your tent down the mountain. — Joanna Klein, New York Times, "If Algae Clings to Snow on This Volcano, Can It Grow on Other Desolate Worlds?," 15 July 2019 Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times Hang a right a few miles past the Dirty Devil River, bump down Cow Dung Road, and the barren, red landscape beyond morphs from mere desert into something, well, otherworldly. — David Kelly, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Life on Mars gets a test run in the Utah desert," 23 June 2019 Open: Year round Reservations: First come, first served only Cost: $15 per night No Hookups White Tank Campground is unlike any other on this list thanks to the barren desert found in Joshua Tree. — Washington Post, "The country’s eight most beautiful campgrounds," 12 July 2019 Hang a right a few miles past the Dirty Devil River, bump down Cow Dung Road, and the barren, red landscape beyond morphs from mere desert into something, well, otherworldly. — David Kelly, latimes.com, "Life on Mars gets a test run in the Utah desert," 23 June 2019 Pay no mind to the roster, barren for the moment aside from James and Kyle Kuzma. — Rob Mahoney, SI.com, "After Year of Turmoil, Lakers Look Ready to Contend," 15 June 2019 Though the islands are mostly barren, populated by only about 10,000 people, the adjacent waters contain plentiful fishing stocks, and possible deposits of oil and gas. — Anatoly Kurmanaev, WSJ, "Japan, Russia See Way Out of 70-Year Squabble," 12 Sep. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'barren.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.