BARREN Synonyms: 194 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'barren' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of barren are bald , bare , naked , and nude . While all these words mean "deprived of naturally or conventionally appropriate covering," barren often suggests aridity or impoverishment or sterility. // barren plains

Q: When can 'bald' be used instead of 'barren'?

The synonyms bald and barren are sometimes interchangeable, but bald implies actual or seeming absence of natural covering and may suggest a conspicuous bareness. // a bald mountain peak

Q: When might 'bare' be a better fit than 'barren'?

The words bare and barren are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, bare implies the removal of what is additional, superfluous, ornamental, or dispensable. // an apartment with bare walls

Q: When could 'naked' be used to replace 'barren'?

While in some cases nearly identical to barren , naked suggests absence of protective or ornamental covering but may imply a state of nature, of destitution, or of defenselessness. // poor half- naked children

Q: Where would 'nude' be a reasonable alternative to 'barren'?

The words nude and barren can be used in similar contexts, but nude applies especially to the unclothed human figure. // a nude model posing for art students

barren 1 of 2

adjective

ˈber-ən

Definition of barren next

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in sterile

not able to produce fruit or offspring the pear tree appears to be barren

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in unsuccessful

producing no results that line of investigation proved barren, so the police tried other avenues

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

barren

2 of 2

noun

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

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How does the adjective barren differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of barren are bald, bare, naked, and nude. While all these words mean "deprived of naturally or conventionally appropriate covering," barren often suggests aridity or impoverishment or sterility.

barren plains

When can bald be used instead of barren?

The synonyms bald and barren are sometimes interchangeable, but bald implies actual or seeming absence of natural covering and may suggest a conspicuous bareness.

a bald mountain peak

When might bare be a better fit than barren?

The words bare and barren are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, bare implies the removal of what is additional, superfluous, ornamental, or dispensable.

an apartment with bare walls

When could naked be used to replace barren?

While in some cases nearly identical to barren, naked suggests absence of protective or ornamental covering but may imply a state of nature, of destitution, or of defenselessness.

poor half-naked children

Where would nude be a reasonable alternative to barren?

The words nude and barren can be used in similar contexts, but nude applies especially to the unclothed human figure.

a nude model posing for art students

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

Adjective

The Trees Arrive Around 50 Million Years Later While sharks expanded their dominion of the seas, the land was barren and inhospitable, with even small plants struggling to gain a foothold. —

Scott Travers, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2024 California officials are proposing making looting during a local emergency a felony, as wildfires continue to blaze through parts of their state, leaving barren neighborhoods susceptible to such crime. —

Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 15 Jan. 2025 In one glance, an observer can see the barren, airless lunar surface and a cold, desert planet that once harbored rivers, lakes, and potentially life, all while standing on our own planet, an oasis in the cosmos. —

Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 14 Jan. 2025 Subtext Additionally, the high salt content of the water is also potentially damaging to the ecosystems where it is used to put out fires, often causing a barren landscape in those areas for years afterward. —

Sam Woodward, USA TODAY, 9 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for barren

Recent Examples of Synonyms for barren

Adjective

For the scenes that take place in the Human World, the crew is going to shoot in a desolate part of Iceland.

— Leo Barraclough, Variety, 27 Jan. 2025
What's more, the plane was completely encircled by massive screens that projected high-resolution videos of desolate Alaskan wilderness.

— Marco della Cava, USA TODAY, 23 Jan. 2025