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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sterile
not able to produce fruit or offspring
the pear tree appears to be barren
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
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
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
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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
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of barren
Scott Gilbertson, WIRED, 30 Nov. 2024
On the drive to the mine complex from downtown Elko, speeding along Interstate 80 with the Ruby Mountains to our left, Gonin had to point out the signs of Elko’s biggest industry in the barren high desert landscape.
—Greg McKenna, Fortune, 21 Nov. 2024
But a relentless pursuit of justice has brought Allyson Phillips to the front row of a Georgia courtroom’s cold, barren benches each day of suspect Jose Ibarra’s murder trial.
—Holly Yan, CNN, 19 Nov. 2024
Striking images from the Sahara Desert show large lakes etched into rolling sand dunes after one of the most arid, barren places in the world was hit with its first floods in decades.
—Laura Paddison, CNN, 14 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for barren 
Adjective
Photograph: Backcountry Deuter Kid Comfort Active Carrier for $203 ($67 off)
Backcountry
My kid started his hiking career in this pack, which carried him from the mountains of Colorado to the hot barren mesas of Chaco Canyon.
—Scott Gilbertson, WIRED, 30 Nov. 2024
On the drive to the mine complex from downtown Elko, speeding along Interstate 80 with the Ruby Mountains to our left, Gonin had to point out the signs of Elko’s biggest industry in the barren high desert landscape.
—Greg McKenna, Fortune, 21 Nov. 2024
But a relentless pursuit of justice has brought Allyson Phillips to the front row of a Georgia courtroom’s cold, barren benches each day of suspect Jose Ibarra’s murder trial.
—Holly Yan, CNN, 19 Nov. 2024
Striking images from the Sahara Desert show large lakes etched into rolling sand dunes after one of the most arid, barren places in the world was hit with its first floods in decades.
—Laura Paddison, CNN, 14 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for barren
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barren
Adjective
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By the time Rip and Lloyd dump Jamie’s body and set his car ablaze in a desolate field in Iowa, her cover story is validated, and warrants are issued against Jamie for aggravated assault and domestic violence.Lynette Rice, Deadline, 15 Dec. 2024
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At the same time, the Russians should know best about the desolate state of affairs inside the Syrian security and military apparatus.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Plastics became indispensable in healthcare, enabling sterile equipment, syringes, and life-saving devices like incubators and blood bags.David Carlin, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
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While the soaring space and large walls of windows certainly let the outside in, modernist homes can often lean sterile if not outfitted with an injection of soft textures and color.Juliet Izon, Architectural Digest, 2 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Stabilize leadership and prepare to scale down, S&P warns After CTU and CPS asking for more state funds earlier this year proved unsuccessful, new revenue from Springfield is unlikely, the S&P noted.Sarah Macaraeg, Chicago Tribune, 14 Dec. 2024
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However, the equipment has been unsuccessful in detecting the drones.Sudiksha Kochi, USA TODAY, 14 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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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
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The medication has hallucinogenic effects that alter the perception of sight and sound and cause users to feel devoid from pain and out of control of their surroundings.Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 28 Oct. 2023
Noun
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Speaking with Greg Cochrane, Del Naja lamented the burden on water supplies of the festival, as well as others in desert locations and those accessible only by air.Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 19 Dec. 2024
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And now this remote spot in the world's driest desert.Didi Kirsten Tatlow, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Assad’s fall ends more than six decades of Baath Party rule that sought to center Syria as a leader in the Arab world, but instead left it corruption-riddled and impoverished.Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2024
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In Delhi, impoverished kids are learning to love reading and math, thanks to a police officer’s makeshift school.Shefali Rafiq, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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With dwindling options, Iran also withdrew its allied militias, recognizing that fighting for Assad would be futile.Natasha Hall, Foreign Affairs, 9 Dec. 2024
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This prospect seems likely because the ACLU is poised to pursue the case if the government drops out, making withdrawal by the new Trump administration potentially futile.Catherine Cole, CBS News, 22 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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The building’s distinctive void houses the Desert Garden, where guests can enjoy light bites surrounded by desert flora.Joe Niehaus, Travel + Leisure, 9 Dec. 2024
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The scripture says that His Word won’t return void.Kyle Denis, Billboard, 9 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near barren
Cite this Entry
“Barren.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barren. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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