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
Hali Smith
may 6, Idaho Statesman, 6 May 2026
Harbaugh, however, replenished the barren corner room with a hard-nosed player under cost control.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 4 May 2026
So is neighboring Idaho, home to a federal nuclear lab, and Utah, where Governor Spencer Cox recently staged a press conference in the barren scrubland west of Salt Lake City.
—Kirk Siegler, NPR, 2 May 2026
Ground covers can suppress weeds, protect topsoil from erosion and drought, and fill empty gaps between stepping stones, pavers, and barren ground.
—Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for barren
Adjective
This seemingly barren landscape is home to a diverse array of hardy wildflowers and desert animals.
—Hali Smith
may 6, Idaho Statesman, 6 May 2026
Harbaugh, however, replenished the barren corner room with a hard-nosed player under cost control.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 4 May 2026
So is neighboring Idaho, home to a federal nuclear lab, and Utah, where Governor Spencer Cox recently staged a press conference in the barren scrubland west of Salt Lake City.
—Kirk Siegler, NPR, 2 May 2026
Ground covers can suppress weeds, protect topsoil from erosion and drought, and fill empty gaps between stepping stones, pavers, and barren ground.
—Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for barren
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barren
Adjective
-
The delicate pitter-patter of a drum’s cymbal is the only sound to break through the thick brick wall of the obscure performance venue, Sun Space, and reach the wide, desolate Sunland Boulevard.—
Christopher Buchanan,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
-
Earlier this week, along a desolate stretch of road lined with oil refineries just north of the border between Shandong and Hebei provinces, an awareness of that spotlight seemed palpable.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
That matters, especially after the sterile corporate monotony of the Napier era.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 May 2026
-
Run the tap two to three minutes before collecting, use only the sterile bottle provided and keep the sample away from nonstick or treated surfaces.—
Allison Palmer,
Miami Herald,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
Investigators said that an initial PIT maneuver was unsuccessful, but a second one caused the truck to crash into another vehicle and roll over onto its side – an incident that was caught on home surveillance video.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
-
Jeremy Brandon Johnson, 53, of Eveleth, was pronounced dead at the scene after lifesaving measures were unsuccessful.—
Forum News Service,
Twin Cities,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
Long, patient takes devoid of nondiegetic elements immerse us in Misael’s rudimentary existence, with birdsong and cracking branches working together with DP Cobi Migliori’s handsome long-shot compositions to create a trancelike atmosphere.—
Beatrice Loayza,
Variety,
16 May 2026
-
The first is that, for now at least, this is a fairly low-key and easy-to-watch western drama, largely devoid of the culture war button-pushing that makes Sheridan shows likeLandman and The Madison so maddening.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
The photo-rich hardcover follows a 1,200-mile odyssey into the heart of the world’s driest non-polar desert, the Atacama Desert in Chile.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 May 2026
-
Large portions of California consist of deserts, mountains, forests, and agricultural regions with little housing development.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
The play’s focus is resolutely on the impoverished rural family of women who fall under this ambitious bluesman’s influence in the rural Georgia of the 1930s, writes Chris Jones.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
13 May 2026
-
This model is much less appealing to the impoverished governments, which sometimes struggle to pay their own troops.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
10 May 2026
Adjective
-
But this story has a happier, less futile ending.—
Deborah Treisman,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
-
To complain about cramps was futile.—
Nami Mun,
The Atlantic,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
An innovation sandbox should also be void of fears related to professional consequences.—
Syed Ahmad,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
-
Since the moon is also void for nearly the entire day, before entering Aries later this evening, the energy could feel strangely unsettled.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Barren.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barren. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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