arid

[ar-id]

adjective

1. being without moisture; extremely dry; parched.

   arid land;

   an arid climate.

2. barren or unproductive because of lack of moisture.

   arid farmland.

3. lacking interest or imaginativeness; sterile.

   an arid treatment of an exciting topic.

   Synonyms: pedantic, jejune, uninspiring, uninspired, vapid, dreary, tedious, dull
   Antonyms: imaginative, spirited, exciting, interesting, lively

arid

/ ˈærɪd, əˈrɪdɪtɪ /

adjective

1. having little or no rain; dry; parched with heat

2. devoid of interest

arid

1. Very dry, especially having less precipitation than is needed to support most trees or woody plants. Deserts have arid climates.

Other Word Forms

• aridity noun
• aridness noun
• aridly adverb
• hyperarid adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of arid¹

First recorded in 1645–55; from French or directly from Latin āridus, equivalent to ār(ēre) “to be dry” + -idus adjective suffix; -id ⁴; ash ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of arid¹

C17: from Latin āridus, from ārēre to be dry

Synonym Study

See dry.

Example Sentences

Like Iran, Israel had an arid climate and a fast-growing population.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Iran, a largely arid country, has for years suffered chronic dry spells and heat waves expected to worsen with climate change.

Read more on Barron's

Heat-resistant and fast-growing, prosopis initially promised to curb soil erosion and provide shade to cool the local micro-climate in Afar's arid lowlands.

Read more on Barron's

U.S. assistance has become increasingly important as al Qaeda and Islamic State militants conduct insurgencies across a vast stretch of West Africa, including Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali in the arid Sahel region.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The dates will be planted in the arid Thar Desert of northern India to help reclaim the land and create employment.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• barren 
• bone-dry 
• desert 
• dusty 
• parched