barren
Americanadjective
-
not producing or incapable of producing offspring; sterile.
a barren woman.
- Synonyms:
- infertile, unprolific, childless
- Antonyms:
- fertile
-
unproductive; unfruitful.
barren land.
- Antonyms:
- fertile
-
without capacity to interest or attract.
a barren period in American architecture.
- Antonyms:
- fertile
-
mentally unproductive; dull; stupid.
- Antonyms:
- fertile
-
not producing results; fruitless.
a barren effort.
- Synonyms:
- ineffective, ineffectual
- Antonyms:
- fertile
-
destitute; bereft; lacking (usually followed byof ).
barren of tender feelings.
- Antonyms:
- fertile
noun
adjective
-
incapable of producing offspring, seed, or fruit; sterile
a barren tree
-
unable to support the growth of crops, etc; unproductive; bare
barren land
-
lacking in stimulation or ideas; dull
a rather barren play
-
not producing worthwhile results; unprofitable
a barren period in a writer's life
-
(foll by of) totally lacking (in); devoid (of)
his speech was barren of wit
-
(of rock strata) having no fossils
Synonym Usage
See bare 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of barren
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English barayn(e), bareyn(e), from Anglo-French barai(gn)e, Old French brahaigne ( French bréhaigne “sterile”), akin to Spanish breña “scrubby, uncultivated ground,” Upper Italian barena “land along a lagoon covered by high water,” all of disputed ultimate origin; perhaps from Celtic (compare Irish branar, Welsh braenar “fallow land”); alternatively, perhaps from a Germanic source akin to Old English bær, Old High German bar ( see bare 1 ( def. ))
Explanation
Drive through a forest that's just been destroyed by a fire, and you'll get an idea of what barren means — stripped of vegetation and devoid of life. Not to be confused with a baron, a kind of nobleman, barren is often used to describe an area of land that lacks any signs of life. A barren wilderness is dry and empty, with no foliage or twittering birds to be found. An old-fashioned and unflattering word for a woman who is unable to have children is barren.
Vocabulary lists containing barren
The Diary of Anne Frank
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Zilch, Zip, Nada: Words For Nothing
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "B"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
His universally acclaimed “Summer of Soul” dropped in June 2021, offering deep refreshment to thirsty concertgoers marooned in a barren season for live music.
From Salon • Jun. 7, 2026
Samuel Beckett’s absurdist masterpiece, Waiting for Godot, tells the story of two friends who gather next to a barren tree, hoping to meet a man who never actually arrives.
From Barron's • Jun. 1, 2026
In the communities nearby - bare homes scattered over barren, brown hills, set against the snowy peaks of the Siah Koh mountain range - the devastating impact of unemployment is clear.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
Reaching the store requires a 50-mile trek from Phoenix through barren land dotted by cactuses and the occasional sign warning of blowing dust.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026
Ophie squinted as it made its way down the barren paths.
From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
