barren

1 of 2

adjective

bar·​ren ˈber-ən 

ˈba-rən

1

: not reproducing: such as

a

: incapable of producing offspring

—used especially of females or matings

barren women

b

: not yet or not recently pregnant

c

of plants : habitually failing to fruit

barren apple trees

2

: not productive: such as

a

: producing little or no vegetation : desolate

barren deserts

b

: producing inferior crops

barren soil

c

: unproductive of results or gain : fruitless

a barren scheme

3

: devoid, lacking

—used with of

barren of excitement

4

: lacking interest or charm

a barren routine

5

: lacking inspiration or ideas

a barren mind

barrenly adverb

barrenness

ˈber-ə(n)-nəs 

ˈba-rə(n)-

noun

barren

2 of 2

noun

1

barrens plural, geography : an extent of usually level land having an inferior growth of trees or little vegetation

2

: a tract of barren land

Synonyms

Adjective

• bony
• boney
• dead
• desolate
• hardscrabble
• impoverished
• infertile
• poor
• stark
• unfertile
• unproductive
• waste

Noun

• desert
• desolation
• heath
• no-man's-land
• waste
• wasteland

Choose the Right Synonym for barren

bare, naked, nude, bald, barren mean deprived of naturally or conventionally appropriate covering.

bare implies the removal of what is additional, superfluous, ornamental, or dispensable.

an apartment with bare walls

naked suggests absence of protective or ornamental covering but may imply a state of nature, of destitution, or of defenselessness.

poor half-naked children

nude applies especially to the unclothed human figure.

a nude model posing for art students

bald implies actual or seeming absence of natural covering and may suggest a conspicuous bareness.

a bald mountain peak

barren often suggests aridity or impoverishment or sterility.

barren plains

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

The result is a barren playa, wide swaths of sand and earth. —Shaun McKinnon, The Arizona Republic, 28 Oct. 2024

In his latest novel, Annihilation, his protagonists wander through that barren world, disoriented, looking vainly for an exit. —Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 24 Oct. 2024

As any Martian rover will tell you, the surface of the Red Planet is a cold, barren wasteland. —Michael Irving, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2024

The fire left a barren wasteland and nothing on the ground, Schreiber said. —Jack Dura, Twin Cities, 7 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English bareine, from Anglo-French barain, perhaps of Celtic origin; akin to Middle Welsh brynar fallow land

Noun

noun derivative of barren entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1651, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing barren

• barren of

Kids Definition

barren

1 of 2 adjective

bar·​ren ˈbar-ən 

1

a

: not able to produce offspring

—used especially of females

b

: usually failing to fruit

barren apple trees

2

a

: producing inferior or little to no vegetation

barren soils

b

: not producing results or gain

a barren plan

barrenly adverb

barrenness

-ən-nəs 

noun

barren

2 of 2 noun

: a tract of barren land

Medical Definition

barren

adjective

bar·​ren ˈbar-ən 

: incapable of producing offspring

—used especially of females or matings

barrenness

-ən-nəs 

noun