arid

American  

[ar-id] / ˈær ɪd /

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

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arid British  

/ ˈærɪd, əˈrɪdɪtɪ /

adjective

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

2. devoid of interest

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arid Scientific  

/ ăr′ĭd /

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

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Related Words

See dry.

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of arid

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

Example Sentences

These ideas risk becoming arid, and there are certainly times when Mr. Lerner overexplains them.

From The Wall Street Journal

Natives actually tend to do better after several years of drought, once invasives not adapted to the arid climate die out.

From Los Angeles Times

Like most of its neighbours in this arid region, the small Gulf monarchy depends heavily on imports, especially for its food supply.

From Barron's

Only a small portion of the planned barrier has so far been cut into the arid Atacama desert - a ditch a few feet wide and deep.

From BBC

The Middle East’s abundant desalination plants, which remove salt from the Gulf’s seawater, are the key source of drinking water for millions of residents in the arid region.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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